Disabled children and young adults

In Darlington assessment and support for Disabled Children and Young Adults is provided by the Life Stages Service. The Life Stages Service (0-25 and 26+) supports disabled children, young people and adults with a learning disability in Darlington.

We have stopped the old system of moving young adults to another team at age 18. We know that Young Adults and their families value consistency and stability during a time in their life where there is a lot of change. This will usually mean the allocated Social Worker remains with the Young Adult as they journey into adulthood. Social Workers in the Life Stages Service have been working on their skills and knowledge to ensure they can assist Young Adults in this phase of their lives

The Life Stages Services uses a Progression Model. This means that when working with individuals and their families we build on the strengths, skills and support networks. This is to encourage their independence throughout their life.

To find out if support would be appropriate, the Disabled Child or Young Adult would require an assessment of their needs.