Our aim is to help disabled people live as independently as possible, by planning ahead early, and to remove some of the barriers that affect people transferring between children and adults social care services.

Instead of having separate services for children and adults we have formed a single Disability Service for anyone with a lifelong disability. We believe that this will take away some of the barriers that used to exist when some people transferred between children and adults social care services. Find out more about our service and our life planning approach.

If you are disabled, we believe the Disability Service will help you to:

• have as much choice and control as possible over your life
• help identify your needs, wishes and aspirations for how you want to live, early on and this will help us plan for these
• improve your health and wellbeing
• live as independently as possible
• be involved in your local community  
• have access to housing, employment, training  
• identify and plan for your future support needs, particularly into older age
• have a plan in place for when you are older and your parents or carers are no longer able to care for you

A life planning approach means that we listen and learn about what is important to the disabled person now and in the future. It helps us understand the current and future levels of care and support needs and how we should be providing good services which make a difference to people’s lives. You can get a life plan at any age. If you are receiving specialist services from the life planning teams it is likely that you will be eligible for a life plan.