Preparing for adulthood

Preparing for adulthood means: 

  • Higher education and/or employment: This includes exploring different employment options, such as support for becoming self-employed and help from supported employment agencies. 

  • Independent living: This means young people having choice, control and freedom over their lives and the support they have, their accommodation and living arrangements, including supported living. 

  • Participating in society: Including having friends and supportive relationships, and participating in, and contributing to, the local community. 

  • Maintaining good health: This means having access to the right assessments and services from the NHS and other services as well as understanding how to, and being supported to, live in a healthy way.

Why it's important 

Preparing for adulthood is important for all children and young people. However, children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) may need extra support to communicate their aspirations and achieve their ambitions.

Preparing children and young people for adulthood should start as early as possible. The SEND Code of Practice (2014) states that this should start ‘early and ideally well before year 9 (age 13 to 14) at school’. 

For young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), the annual review at Year 9, and every annual review after that, must include a focus on preparing for adulthood.

This means that consideration should be given to the following four outcomes:

  • education, training and employment 
  • independent living 
  • friends, relationships and community 
  • good health 

All young people will have questions about who they will become as adults and how they will achieve their goals and aspirations. It can be an exciting time, but it can also be a stressful time. 

If you have SEND, you may have extra questions or need support to help you prepare for adulthood.

The following guide is very helpful and explains about preparing for adulthood:

These links have more information on other support required for a young person who has an EHCP:  

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