How to Access the Service (Transition to Adult Care and Support)

1. 18 Years Old and Over

The Disability Enablement Service can accept new referrals for adults between the ages of 18 and 25 when:

  1. They have an Education, Health and Care Plan; and
  2. There is an allocated Assessment, Planning and Reviewing Officer.

Click here to access the procedure ‘Requesting Adult Social Care Support’ for further information.

2. Under 18 Years Old

To make a referral for a young person under the age of 18:

Phone: 020 8496 3000
Minicom: 020 8496 3010
Email: WFDLiaison@walthamforest.gov.uk

These referrals can be made by a person with parental responsibility if;

  1. The young person has provided consent; or
  2. The young person has been deemed to lack capacity to provide this consent (see below).

Establishing consent

The Gillick competency test should be used to determine whether a young person under the age of 16 is able to consent to the referral. To be able to consent the young person must be able to understand what they are consenting to and the implications and likely outcome of consenting.

If the young person is able to consent then the same conditions apply as for an adult.

Where a young person under the age of 16 is not able to provide consent this should be given by a person with parental responsibility for them. Their mother will always have parental responsibility, and normally the father will as well. Depending on the circumstances other people may also have been granted parental responsibility by the courts.

Significant Benefit

If a referral is being made to the service for a child’s needs assessment to be carried out (transition assessment) this can only be carried out;

  1. If the young person has a likely appearance of need from the age of 18; and
  2. The assessment will be of significant benefit to them at the current time.

Significant benefit will generally be had at the point when any needs for Care and Support the child may have as an adult can be predicted reasonably confidently. A range of other factors will also determine whether the timing of the assessment is of significant benefit, including:

  1. The stage the child has reached at school and any upcoming exams;
  2. The time it may take to carry out an assessment;
  3. The time it may take to plan and put in place the adult Care and Support;
  4. Any relevant family circumstances; and
  5. Any planned medical treatment.
If both of the above criteria are not met the assessment may not be carried out or could be deferred to such time when the significant benefit is clear.