What is Preparing for Adulthood?
Preparing for Adulthood (Transition) is the name given to the process of moving on from children to adult services.
It’s more than just moving from one service to another. It’s a thoughtful, planned process that helps young people with long-term health needs transition from children’s to adult healthcare. This involves not just medical care, but also emotional, social, and developmental support.
A well-managed transition ensures that young people continue to receive high-quality care while becoming more independent and confident in managing their own health.
Why do we need transition to adult services?
Transitioning to adult services is essential to make sure that your child continues to receive care that is right for their age, stage of life, and changing needs. As young people grow older, their medical, emotional, and social needs shift and adult services are designed to reflect that.
Without a proper transition:
- Your child may miss out on the opportunities and resources that adult services offer, like access to adult mental health support, reproductive health advice, or vocational services.
- Young adults might remain in children’s wards, where the environment and support are not suitable for their age.
- Children’s services could become overwhelmed, making it harder for babies, toddlers, and younger children to access the care and support they need.
Transition helps everyone — it keeps children’s spaces open for young children, while ensuring young people are cared for in a way that respects their growing independence and maturity.
Support with Transition
The Complex Care Support Team will work with your clinical teams to make your transition as smooth as possible. Whether you have long-term health conditions, learning disabilities, or social care needs, we coordinate with various services to provide comprehensive support.
Families should never feel left to figure it out alone. Good transition includes:
- A named transition coordinator or key contact person to guide your family through the process.
- Discussions between paediatric and adult teams, so important information is shared, and care continues seamlessly.
- Emotional and psychological support, especially if your child is nervous or has complex needs.
- A clear plan for whom to contact during and after transfer, so there’s no confusion. You can download our contact list template to help with this.
Some young people and families need more support, and that’s okay. If your child is struggling with the idea of transition or has complex needs:
- Let your clinical team know early so they can adapt the process.
- Ask if there is a youth worker, social worker, psychologist, or learning disability nurse who can help.
- Speak to the Complex Care Support Team within Alder Hey – if your child is an inpatient over the age of 18 with complexities or over the age of 14 if already known to the team to offer support and advice.
Managing your health
Transition is a journey, not a one-off event. Done well, it supports young people to thrive in adulthood, with the tools, confidence, and support they need to manage their health and their future.
Download a copy of NHS England’s Health and Care Passport or Health information Passport.
You are not alone in this. It’s a team effort, you, your child, and the healthcare professionals working together to get it right.
We’re Here for You! If you have any questions or need more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help you every step of the way.
Contacts
Complex Care Support Team
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
Phone: 0151 293 3663
Email: [email protected]
Useful websites
Ready Steady Go
Ready Steady Go helps young people move from children’s hospitals to adult healthcare.
It gives clear steps to help you understand your health and feel confident about your care.
The program includes questions and advice to help you learn about your condition and manage it on your own.
It is used in the UK to make the move to adult healthcare easier and less stressful.
You won’t be alone—Ready Steady Go helps you every step of the way!
You can find more information about the Ready Steady Go healthcare transition program on their official website here. It provides details on how the program works, resources, and easy-read versions of their materials.
10 Steps of Transition
10 Steps of Transition helps young people move from children’s to adult healthcare.
It gives clear steps to make the change easy and supported.
Here are the 10 steps:
- Identifying young people who need transition.
- Helping young people and parents feel confident.
- Making a transition plan for healthcare needs.
- Checking the healthcare team to see who will help.
- Referring to adult services for future care.
- Having joint reviews with children’s and adult doctors.
- Planning for urgent care in case of emergencies.
- Helping young people feel ready for adult healthcare.
- Settling into adult services with support.
- Making sure care continues smoothly after transition.
Contact
Find out more about transition to adult services on the Contact website.