The TASC service provided by Devon County Council focuses on the early identification of young people who are likely to require care and support in adulthood.
Our goal is to ensure that this group of young individuals, along with their families and those that care for them, feels well-informed and prepared for the transition into adulthood.
Transition should be an ongoing process rather than a single event and it should be tailored to suit a child’s needs. More information about preparing for adulthood can be found on our SEND Local Offer website.
The TASC service, part of Adult Social Care, is a Devon county-wide social care team, working with many partners and guided by the Care Act principles (see also Care Act – easy read guidance)
We are committed to engaging with young people, families, those that care for them, and support agencies to enable young people to fully recognise their potential and opportunities as adults, fostering independence, self-reliance, and confidence to the greatest opportunities available.
The vision of the TASC service is to improve our service to better support young people to transition to adulthood.
How to refer
Consent must be sought before the form is completed.
We would ask that you provide us with as much information as possible about the young person you wish to refer. We cannot accept bulk or generic referrals, and the form needs to include information about the current impairments, disabilities, diagnoses or health conditions of the young person and the support that you feel will be needed during the journey into adulthood.
Please be aware that the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) applies to all people aged 16 and over. Considering the MCA will support you to clarify who can consent to a preparing for adulthood referral.
If the referred person is over 16 and they have mental capacity, they can consent to this referral. If they are over 16 but lack capacity to consent to this referral, the MCA states the decision must be made in their best interests.
If you have any questions about making a referral to the Preparing for Adulthood Team, the services we provide, or wider questions about adult social care please call us on 01392 381291 or email us at transitionsadultsocialcare@devon.gov.uk for an informal chat.
What happens next
A member of the team will get in touch with the parent, carer or young person when the young person is around 16 years of age to introduce themselves and allow them to ask any questions they have about Adult Social Care. Please note we will not be attending EHCP reviews before year 11 at the earliest.
A Care Act assessment may be required following this conversation which is an opportunity to discuss the young person’s needs, what is going well for them at the moment and any goals they have for the future. This will help to determine if they will be likely to be eligible to receive support from Adult Social Care when they reach their 18th birthday.
Referrals may also be made to other appropriate services at this time, such as children’s services, occupational therapists, Reaching for Independence service, or Devon Carers. The team member who carries out the assessment will be able to discuss referrals to these and other appropriate services at the time of the assessment, and you can also find information about these services and more on our website.
We may also implement some technology aids such as Brain in Hand, or AutonoMe where this is suitable. The workers may also recommend and complete referrals for carer’s assessments for family members or others who support the young person
It can be important to understand that the Team does not hold case responsibility for young people, as under the Children and Families Act 2014 this remains with children’s agencies until the age of 18.
Helpful tools
Below are some useful links and tools that the team has put together to help you learn more about how to prepare for adult life and the skills you may need.
- The Independence Toolkit will help you think about the types of skills that you might need for adulthood. It is a useful way to track your progress in learning new skills, record achievements and recognise things that you may find more challenging. It can also help you to navigate the transitions between services. This could mean moving from school to college, moving between social care and health services or even finding your own place to live.
- Decision-making toolkit – this document, produced by the Council for Disabled Children, supports young people’s decision-making with practical tools and a best-interest decision-making tool.
- The Developing Independence Checklist leaflet is a visual tool using small drawings and symbols to explain some of the skills that you might need to develop when preparing for adult life.
- National Preparing for Adulthood website – Preparing for Adulthood is a national organisation that works to ensure that young people with SEND achieve paid employment, independent living, good health, friendships, relationships and community inclusion.
- The Intensive Assessment and Treatment Team can provide specialist health support for people with learning disabilities and their families.
- The Learning Disability Devon website contains useful information about preparing for adulthood in an easy read format.
- Devon Information and Advice Service (DiAS) has a dedicated team offering legally based and easily accessible information and advice about special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). They support parents, carers, children and young people with SEND and our service is impartial and confidential.
- Dimensions for Autism is a group based in Devon that supports adults on the autistic spectrum who do not have a learning disability. They’ve produced a guide to services for autistic adults, their families, friends and carers.