Independent living age and year groups
There are no set timescales for moving from living with family to living independently or with support, each person will do this in their own time and at their own pace.
Year 11 (Age 15)
SHOW
- Your education setting should start to work with you on your transition plans into post-16 education and adulthood. It will be important to consider any impact that your health conditions may have on your future career choices
- It is important that planning for post-16 education includes planning for how any physical or health needs you have will be met in the post 16 setting
- Advocacy services available to young people to help them have them voice heard and effectively manage their own health services, see SEND advocacy
- You should know which person manages your support. This could be a teacher or a social worker
- If you have a pathways worker, they may start to plan a care leavers assessment for you
- If you are going to need to live somewhere different when you leave school you will need support to look at this now
- If you have a social worker and will continue to need one as you get older, they should start to talk to Adult Social Care to tell them that you will need their support
- If you receive Disability Living Allowance, you will be invited to apply for Personal Independence Payment. Your parent or carer can act as your nominee to apply for this on your behalf
- Independent living skills
- Socialising unsupervised in local town and community
- Independent travel training
- Life skills support
Year 12 (Age 16)
SHOW
- Your school or setting should start to work with you on your transition plans.
- Impact of your health conditions on your future career choices
- Awareness of mental capacity and consent required to manage your own health conditions and independent living
- Advocacy services available to young people to help them have them voice heard and effectively manage their own health services, finances and independent living
- If you need or want them to, the person managing your support can organise a referral to adult services and/or primary care if you need it
- You may want to think about if you want to drive your own car or travel independently on public transport
Year 13 (Age 17)
SHOW
- Referrals to Adult Health Service to be picked up from Children’s Services
- You can manage all your health appointments if you are able to
- If you are able to you should continue to learn about your medical conditions and the multiple medical professionals that support you with your individual conditions
- If you have a learning disability, you or your parents/carers can make sure your General Practitioner (GP) knows your needs so that you can start to have annual health checks from the age of 14
- If you have been receiving health funding from Children’s Continuing Care, a Continuing Health Care (CHC) checklist will be completed before you reach the of 17.5 years old. This is to assess if Continuing Health Care will be in place when you turn 18
- If you wish to discuss Continuing Health Care, speak to your parent/carer who can then discuss with your key health professional
- Your education setting will continue to work with you on your transition plans for when you leave post-16 education
- It is important that planning for post-16 education includes planning for how any physical or health needs you have will be met in the post-16 setting
- It will be important to consider any impact that your health conditions may have on your future career choices
- Awareness of mental capacity and consent required to manage your own health conditions
- Advocacy services available to young people to help them have them voice heard and effectively manage their health services
- Management of medication in other areas of the country or abroad
Post Year 13 (Age 18+)
SHOW
- If you are able to, you can manage your health and well-being appointments on your own. If you would prefer to still have a parent, carer, or friend to support you, that’s fine too
- If you are able to you should now be managing your medical conditions and contacting the multiple medical professionals that support you with your individual conditions
- You can request help from your family or the person that supports you to apply for benefits
- Research into living by yourself or supported living
You can find out more about what certain terms mean in our jargon buster.
View our jargon buster
