This team helps young people move into adulthood and is part of Sheffield City Council. The team is called the Preparation for Adulthood (PfA) team. It has 15 workers and 2 managers. They are part of the Adult Future Option service, which helps people with disabilities and extra needs. Before August 2023, there were two teams, but now they are one.
The team helps young people aged 16-25 who have a disability and will need care as adults. Other teams help young people with different needs, like mental health problems, drug or alcohol issues, or other challenges.
We know it’s good to work with young people and their families before they turn 18. This helps them move smoothly into adulthood. We start meeting with 17-year-olds who have an Education, Health, and Care (EHC) plan and need social care. When we can, we will also help 16 and 15-year-olds.
The team decides who to help first based on each person’s situation and other support they have. This means some people might wait longer to get help. Sometimes, a worker can’t respond right away if someone else needs urgent help. How long a young person and their family get help depends on their situation.
Parents should know that there is no automatic referral to the team. This is even if the young person is known to children’s social care. Referrals can be made by:
The young person (or their parent or carer if they can’t consent) must agree to the referral. A young person should know if a referral has been made.