Before the File Moves: A Handover Guide for Families Nearing Adult Neurodevelopmental Services

The 18th birthday can look like a cliff edge in children's services. In practice, it is a handover — messy, human and much easier when it starts early. For professionals, the most useful thing you can do is make the paper trail visible to families long before the candles are lit. This is not about adding another form. It is about reducing the chance that a family discovers a gap in August because a referral needed to be made in February.

Start with the year, not the birthday

From around 16, transition should be on the agenda at every review. If the young person has an EHCP, the annual review from Year 9 onwards must include preparing for adulthood. But not every young person has an EHCP. For those without one, GP records and adult social care become the main thread. Ask at every appointment: who holds the current summary, and who has consent to share it?

The goal is not a perfect plan. It is a named person, a written summary and a clear next step.

The four threads to track

1. Health records and the GP. Young people aged 14 and over should be offered an annual health check if they have a learning disability, and many autistic young people benefit from one too. Make sure the GP record includes the diagnosis, current medication and any reasonable adjustments. At 16, a young person can usually consent to their own records, but capacity is decision-specific. A simple health passport — one page, in the young person's words where possible — can travel further than a file.

2. Children's to adult services. Not every children's service has an adult equivalent. Map what actually exists in your area, including referral criteria and waiting times. Ask for written confirmation of what has been accepted and what has not. A verbal 'we'll sort it' is not a handover.

3. EHCP and education. Check the transition review, outcomes, placement, transport and any stepping-down plan. If the young person is leaving education, adult social care and the Department for Work and Pensions may need to be involved before the birthday, not after.

4. Money and decision-making. Personal Independence Payment can start from 16. Universal Credit usually starts from 18. Discuss appointeeship, power of attorney and supported decision-making under the Mental Capacity Act. These conversations are easier when they happen in small pieces, not in one emergency meeting.

A realistic timeline

12 to 18 months before: identify possible adult services, request a transition planning meeting, update the one-page profile and confirm who will coordinate.

6 months before: check referrals, confirm GP records, discuss consent and capacity, and do a benefits check.

3 months before: produce a written summary, confirm the medication plan, agree emergency contacts and request an adult social care assessment if it is likely to be needed.

Birthday month: confirm records have transferred, share new contact numbers and check repeat prescriptions.

First three months after: follow up. Ask for confirmation. Do not assume silence means success.

A family checklist you can share

• A one-page profile: what matters to the young person, what helps, what does not.
• A list of current services and named contacts.
• GP details, diagnosis, medication and reasonable adjustments.
• EHCP or education plan, plus transport arrangements.
• Benefits and financial support already in place.
• Consent and decision-making arrangements.
• A medication and repeat prescription plan.
• Key questions for adult services.

Scripts for the handover conversation

'We are starting transition planning now because adult services often need a referral before the 18th birthday. Can we book a 20-minute review?'

'Who will hold the summary record after the young person turns 18, and how will they share it with the GP?'

'If there is no adult equivalent for this need, what is the plan?'

Common gaps — and what helps

No adult service exists: document the gap and ask what reasonable alternative is available. Referral made too late: ask for an urgent transition review and put the request in writing. Records not transferred: send a summary directly to the GP and adult team, with consent. Consent confusion: discuss capacity decision by decision, not as a blanket yes or no. Benefits gap: start the check early and keep copies of everything.

Keep it human

The paperwork is not the point. Continuity is. Share the checklist, write down what was agreed, and follow up. A good handover is not a perfect file. It is a family who knows who to ring in January.