Preparing for Adulthood is often associated with the later stages of the SEND journey - post-16 choices, employment, independence and, for some young people, the move towards Adult Social Care.

At our first SEND Community Practice Network, local authorities shared how they are trying to make preparation for adulthood part of the journey earlier.

While councils are approaching PfA in different ways, much of the discussion focused on what it takes to make preparation for adulthood meaningful earlier in a young person's SEND journey.

Starting earlier doesn't mean bringing transition forward

Several councils are beginning PfA activity early, but this doesn't necessarily mean starting transition processes sooner.

One authority described an Adult Social Care PfA support worker becoming involved before Year 9. The role isn't to carry out an early Care Act assessment, but to build a relationship with the young person, understand their aspirations, and help families understand what thejourney towards adulthood may involve.

Another council has been reconsidering the language it uses with young people, families and schools. Rather than introducing the traditional PfA outcomes too early, it is using concepts such as aspiration and readiness to make conversations more relevant to what a young person is experiencing at that stage of their journey.

The useful distinction is between starting a process earlier and starting preparation earlier - building aspirations, confidence and independence long before decisions about transition need to be made.

Annual reviews can help keep adulthood in view

Annual reviews came up repeatedly as an opportunity to make PfA more consistent.

One authority described how reviews can become focused on the immediate plan and current outcomes, without enough space to consider where the young person is heading. It is developing checklists for schools and families to encourage broader conversations about aspirations and future options.

For councils, annual reviews offer a regular opportunity to look beyond immediate needs and provision, and keep the young person's longer-term aspirations and preparation for adulthood in view.

Different young people need different ways to engage

Councils shared practical examples of bringing the different parts of the transition landscape together.

Kingston & Richmond described phase-transfer events where young people and families can meet colleges, careers teams, social care and other partners, ask questions and speak directly with their coordinator. Cheshire East runs a SEND careers fair involving education providers, Adult Social Care and inclusive employers, with examples of young people progressing into wrk experience and supported internships.

But councils also recognised that the same approach won't work for every young person.

Wokingham found that some young people could find a large event overwhelming, so it also provides online sessions where the same information can be accessed in a quieter environment.

There was also discussion about creating more space for young people's voices. One council found that young people attending events with peers and teachers could sometimes talk about their aspirations more freely than in conversations where adults naturally took more of the lead.

Together, these examples show how councils can provide consistent opportunities while adapting how young people and families engage with them.

Joining up SEND and Adult Social Care before transition

The relationship between children's and adults' services was another imporant part of the discussion.

Different legislation, thresholds, processes and expectations mean the two systems cannot simply be joined together. But those differences can be difficult for young people and families to navigate.

One participant described the challenge of creating an experience that feels more seamless for families, even where different systems continue to operate behind it. Without clear pathways and relationships between services, families can be left navigating those gaps themselves.

Councils shared different approaches, including earlier Adult Social Care involvement, dedicated transition roles and closer working between SEND, social care, education providers and other partners.

This puts the focus on more than the point of handover itself. Relationships, information and expectations can all be developed before a young person reaches transition.

Can councils see what's working?

Councils described events, new roles, hubs, training, checklists and joint-working arrangements. But the discussion also highlighted how difficult it can be to understand the impact of that activity across a whole cohort.

Some authorities are beginning to address this. Kingston & Richmond track phase transfers and whether provision has been secured. Wokingham is building destination tracking into its new post-16 hub, including whether employment is sustained after a young person leaves.  

Another council collects feedback from families attending its SEND careers event, but the discussion prompted a wider question about following young people through to their eventual destinations and understanding whether earlier activity has supported their transition.  

This is where individual good practice starts to become a wider insight challenge. Councils need to understand not only what's happening for an individual young person, but where planning starts late, where gaps recur, whether practice varies between settings, and where earlier action could help.

Better information within EHCPs and annual reviews has a role here too. Viewed collectively, it could help leaders build a clearer picture of how PfA is developing across their cohort - while giving practitioners better information at an individual level.

Earlier preparation, with a clearer view of the journey

There isn't one model for getting Preparing for Adulthood right. The session showed councils taking different approaches - from earlier involvement and stronger annual reviews to transition events, alternative ways for young people to engage, and closer working with Adult Social Care.

What connects them is a focus on making preparation for adulthood part of the wider SEND journey, rather than something that begins as transition approaches.

As councils develop these approaches, greater visibility across the cohort could help connect individual practice with the bigger picture - showing where preparation is working well, where experiences differ, and where earlier attention may be needed.