Transition to Adulthood Protocol
The East Sussex Multi-Agency Transition to Adulthood Protocol (2024) sets out a commitment, from the partner agencies of the East Sussex Safeguarding Adults Board (ESSAB) and the East Sussex Safeguarding Children’s Partnership (ESSCP), that a vulnerable young person’s transition experience is positive, safe, and coordinated.
The protocol helps to ensure that all professionals, involved in the transition of vulnerable young people into adulthood, is clear about their specific role and responsibilities, so that they can work together in partnership with young people, parents, carers, and personal advisors to support the young person at the centre of this process.
Principles for joint working in transition to adulthood
The protocol sets out six key principles for joint working:
- Principle 1 Planning and decision making is carried out in a person-centred and collaborative way. Young people are supported to share their views
- Principle 2 Support is timely, planned, and coordinated with relevant services and organisations
- Principle 3 There are clear processes and adequate resources to support a vulnerable young person’s transition
- Principle 4 Professionals are enabled to respond flexibly to a young person’s vulnerabilities within service eligibility criteria rather than be constrained by service eligibility criteria.
- Principle 5 The young person and their family/carers have access to the information they need and it is shared appropriately
- Principle 6 Professionals use trauma informed practice and approaches when working with vulnerable young people
Pledges by agencies
As part of the development of the protocol, the East Sussex SCP and SAB asked agencies to set out their ‘pledge’ to principles of joint working in transition to adulthood. Below are some of the pledges:
Adult Social Care and Health (ASCH) pledge:
To commit to the six principles outlined above for every young person’s transition to ASCH. East Sussex County Council will also use the above principles as part of a review of the current transitions service, being undertaken jointly with Children’s services, to align ourselves with the key aims of Preparing for Adulthood, These commitments and actions will be monitored through governance routes in ESCC with updates presented to the Safeguarding Adult’s Board. This Protocol will be shared with our workforce through local team meetings, internal communications to all staff and through our Safeguarding Steering Group.
East Sussex Police Safeguarding Investigation Unit pledge:
To utilise trauma informed practice when investigating crimes where a vulnerable young person is the victim and to share information with partner agencies in a timely manner in order to support them in their areas of business. This will be monitored and reviewed through feedback at the SAB meetings.
Brighton and East Sussex Probation pledge:
Transition from youth to adult in the Criminal Justice System poses many challenges for the young adult. As such we commit to the six principles, to aid the transition process. We further have a specific agreement and secondment arrangement with Youth Justice Services to ensure a seamless and safe process is in place to support children as they move to adulthood. We commit to review and provide governance to our commitment through the Reducing Reoffending Boards and SAB meetings.