Preparing for Adulthood (PfA) is all about helping children and young people with SEND build the skills, confidence and opportunities they need for adult life.
We work with schools, colleges, families, employers, community organisations and services across Essex to improve the support available to young people as they move towards adulthood. Our focus is on helping young people achieve positive outcomes in areas such as:
- Employment and careers
- Education and training pathways
- Independent living and life skills
- Friendships, relationships and community participation
- Health, wellbeing and staying safe
- Confidence, aspirations and self-advocacy
The Preparing for Adulthood Service leads Essex's strategic approach to improving adulthood outcomes for young people with SEND. This means that, rather than providing direct support, referrals or casework to individual families, we work with partners across Essex to develop services, improve pathways, raise aspirations and create more inclusive opportunities for young people.
This includes leading key areas of work such as Targeted Employment, the SEND Careers Service and Post-16 High Needs Funding pathways, helping to ensure that young people and families have access to the information, opportunities and support they need at the right time.
By bringing organisations together and promoting a shared vision for Preparing for Adulthood, we aim to ensure that every young person with SEND can aspire, prepare and participate in their journey towards adult life.
Additional resource - Vocational Profiling padlet: https://padlet.com/emmawyatt4/vocational-profiling-resources-z0hw2zn326np87n7
