Transition Step 2: Getting the Right Assessment
Getting the right assessment for your child is one of the most important things you can do throughout the whole Transition process.
An assessment at this stage will often provide the basis of care plans, funding and access to services moving forward, particularly if your child is nearing 18 at which time they transfer into Adult Services, or if it is a provider assessing their needs to put together an offer letter (i.e. funding required).
During the assessement process it might be tempting to describe your child in a way that you think will give them greater access to services but don’t: see our earlier blogpost Why It’s the Bad Days that Matter which explains why it is essential to describe your child on their worst day.
Do not sign any assessment documents until you are absolutely happy with the contents. And be aware that over the Transition period your child’s needs are likely to change – an assessment at 17 is unlikely to provide an accurate description of your child’s needs (and therefore the right level of funding and provision) at 19.
Once your care manager has requested an assessment from a provider, the provider will contact you to discuss arrangements to
- Meet your child at home
- Agree whether there are other environments to assess your child in, and if so, visit those places e.g. school or college, day centres
- Meet with you, your family, care workers, carers and any other relevant parties to gather information
This should be an in-depth assessment to determine whether that provider really can meet the your child’s needs and should be free of charge.
At Home From Home Care we only offer placements if we are confident we can support an individual and can meet their needs. If this is so, we issue an offer letter which contains details of the support package and funding levels required.
If you are not offered a placement by a provider it is important that you understand why. The provider should send you and your care manager a written explanation with the reasons behind the decision which the care manager should then discuss with you to help you plan what to do next.
Read Transition Step 1: Starting the Process
Read Transition Step 3: Access to Funding
Read Transition Step 4: What Makes a Good Transition
Read Transition Step 5: What Happens Afterwards
Absolutely!
The Transition process should be clearly “marked out” for everyone and timescales adhered to throughout. It should be built in to care planning and identified as a specific item on the agenda of all review meetings from age 14 onwards.
I have always felt it’s importance has been minimised by many participants and that parents/significant others who express concern are left to feel that they are “worrying unnecessarily”.
The gulf between children’s services, college services and adult services is unacceptable – good care planning should involve the development of a seamless and far sighted cohesive plan; the role of an independent keyworker/advocate is essential. I speak as a parent and a former care manager! These guides should be published and distributed to all social workers, care managers and parents!