19-01-2026 Preparing for adulthood
If your child has an EHCP and is now in year 9 or above, it is important to start thinking about what will happen when they get to the age of 16 and become legally responsible for making their own decisions, and perhaps start to think about their future in terms of getting a job or living more independently. We know that this can be a worrying time for parents and carers, and it is important to start thinking about the transition as early as possible so that you will be well-informed and ready to support your young person through the changes.
The Local Authority's Preparing for Adulthood booklet is a key document to help you understand the process and support. You can see this booklet on the Local Offer here and there is additional information about the process here
We recommend that you should attend as many of the Preparing for Adulthood events as you can. It is worth starting as soon as possible, and you may wish to repeat some of the sessions over the next few years.
You might also like to have a look at the Our Voice presentation on our top tips for Preparing for Adulthood, from our Social Care conference on 15th December 2025 - a practical overview of some of our team's real-life experiences of going through the process with their young people.
Preparing for Adulthood events
The Local Authority run a series of Preparing for Adulthood events and the full programme is available here. The programme will run from 9th January 2026 to 26th June 2026.
These events are part of a series about different aspects of the Preparing for Adulthood process. If you have been unable to attend a session, or you would like to look at the presentations from the previous year, the presentations are added to the Local Offer Preparing for Adulthood page here shortly after each session. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see links to each presentation.
Most sessions are held online or at the Integrated Learning Disability Service, Carnegie Building, 258a Hertford Road, Enfield, EN3 5BN.
The next PfA event is Getting a Home on Wednesday 4 February 2026 10:30am to 12:30pm which looks at:
- What care and support is available to help a young person to live more independently?
- What are the accommodation options for supported/independent living?
- How new technology can help people to live more independently in their own properties
- How Vincent House transition flats, give young people the opportunity to experience living independently and to learn new skills and grow in confidence
- How the LA make sure that young people’s emotional well-being is considered and that they have social networks and friends
- How the LA support young people to stay safe
Drop-in sessions
On the first Friday of every month, parents and carers of young people aged 16 and over can join the monthly drop-in sessions 10 am - 12 pm at the Integrated Learning Disability Service in Hertford Road, where you can talk to a member of the ILDS team, and Jane Richards from Families in Transition to Adulthood. More information on the flyer here. If you would like to attend, please book an appointment by noon on the previous day. If this day does not work for you, please contact Jane to discuss an alternative timing.
You are welcome to bring your young person along with you.
