Foreword

Preparing for adulthood is something we have been talking about for a long time. We know what good looks like. We know what we are trying to achieve. And yet, for too many young people and families, the experience of moving into adulthood still feels disjointed, reactive and difficult to navigate.

This report does not tell us that we have a new problem to solve. Indeed, reading it you may feel you know the challenge well. What it does is give us a clearer picture of why progress has been harder than we might have hoped. Across the East Midlands, the number of young people entering adult social care has remained relatively stable. However, the cost and complexity of support have increased significantly, with a small number requiring highly intensive, and often restrictive, packages of care. These are not unknown individuals. They are young people we have worked with for many years, often with complex experiences of SEND, care, trauma and mental health. That should give us pause for thought.

If the young people with the highest levels of need in adulthood are already known to us, then the opportunity to make a difference sits much earlier in their journey. Too often, transitions are reactive rather than planned, with support stepping up in response to crisis rather than building independence over time.

The report also highlights how the nature of need is changing. Increasingly, young people present with multiple, overlapping needs. Our systems, however, are still largely designed around single service pathways, and it is therefore not surprising that those with the most complex needs experience the most fragmented journeys.

There is much to be positive about. Across the region, we see strong practice, committed practitioners and a clear ambition to improve outcomes. But we must go further – raising our aspirations and recognising that preparing for adulthood is a shared, whole-system responsibility.

Melanie Williams, Executive Director of People Services, West Northamptonshire Council