Transitional Safeguarding

This four-minute video contextualises transitional safeguarding and explains why it is so important:

Young people can face various safeguarding risks. Some may be at risk because of vulnerabilities caused by a physical disability, cognitive impairment or other needs for care and support.

Others may have no need for care and support. Instead, it is their situation or the context in which they are living that makes them vulnerable. For example, they may be exposed to or experiencing domestic abuse, living in care, be an immigrant/refugee or be part of a culture where familial abuse can occur (for example, FGM, honour-based violence or forced marriage). These young people are particularly susceptible to organised exploitation, including sexual exploitation, County Lines, radicalisation and modern slavery.

For children and young people under 18, safeguarding duties are typically managed by children’s services. They are governed by The Children’s Act 1989 and the Working Together to Safeguard Children Statutory Guidance.

These legal frameworks apply to ALL children, regardless of their specific need or circumstances.

Once a young person turns 18, they are legally an adult, and the safeguarding frameworks that protected them as minors no longer be applied.

In adulthood, safeguarding duties fall under the Care Act 2014, with responsibility transferring to adult services.

Unlike children's safeguarding, adult safeguarding only applies if:

The adult has needs for care and support (whether these have been assessed or are being met by the local authority or not)
They are experiencing, or are at risk of experiencing, abuse or neglect
As a result of care and support needs, they are unable to protect themselves against the abuse or neglect

Receiving care and support as a child does not necessarily mean that a young person will meet the criteria for adult services as the eligibility thresholds are different.

The impact of different frameworks

Safeguarding risks do not stop when a young person becomes 18. However, due to the abrupt change in safeguarding frameworks and eligibility for support, many young adults experience a ‘cliff edge’ effect, where they suddenly lose the professional support they once relied upon to stay safe.

This loss of support can have long term negative effects, such as:

Ongoing harm caused by abuse, neglect or exploitation
Impact on relationships and informal networks of support
Impact on housing circumstances
Impact on employment and employment opportunities
Impact on financial security
Serious mental health issues such as trauma, PTSD, self-harm and addictions
Physical health issues such as STDs, unwanted pregnancy, physical injuries
Criminal behaviour requiring police/judicial intervention

What is transitional safeguarding?

Transitional safeguarding is an approach that involves children’s services, adult services and partner agencies working together to prevent the 'cliff edge' effect and reduce the risks young adults face due to ongoing abuse, neglect or exploitation.

It recognises that chronological age is not always an indicator of whether someone can function well and stay safe as an adult. Instead, adulthood is seen as a stage of life, not an event and like every stage of life, is achieved at different times by different people.

Example: A young adult who has experienced trauma, neglect and abuse, might require additional support to be safe and well during this phase of their lives, to reduce the risk of mental health issues and to build resilience for the future.

Transitional safeguarding requires a more flexible approach across all services, allowing the right underpinning principles and approaches to be utilised at the right time to ensure a more tailored approach, yet remaining within the relevant age-related legal framework.

The type of support that a young person will need during their transition to adulthood depends on a whole range of factors and is not determined by whether they have care and support needs.

A transitional safeguarding approach in practice

The key principles of a transitional safeguarding approach are that it is:

Evidence-informed
Contextual - shifting the focus beyond the individual and their family, to consider the broader systems, contexts and spaces where harm and safety issues mar arise, this includes risks like; sexual exploitation outside of the family, radicalisation, county lines and domestic abuse
Developmental – acknowledging the unique developmental needs and strengths of this life stage and designing services and pathways that reflect the personalised nature of the transition to adulthood. It promotes greater flexibility between children and adult safeguarding processes and calls for active effort to align systems providing a more seamless and holistic offer for people being supported
Relational - being person-centred
Participative
That it attends issues of equalities, diversity and inclusion

Want to know more?

For all

For professionals

Bridging the Gap: Transitional safeguarding and the role of social work with adults
Transitional Safeguarding from Adolescence to Adulthood by Dez Holmes, Research in practice
Video: Dez Holmes, Research in Practice
1. The case for change: Issues with the current approach
2. Spotting gaps and spanning boundaries: Transitional safeguarding as a systems issue
3. Risk, resilience, protection and participation: Transitional safeguarding in practice