Transitional safeguarding briefing

This strategic briefing is for anyone interested in, or responsible for, safeguarding young people across the interlocking systems for children and adults. It has been drafted collaboratively by Research in Practice with support from ADASS along with ADCS, Partners in Care and Health and Professor Christine Cocker.

The current binary approach to safeguarding has not always served young people well. The needs of young people rarely cease upon turning 18. Many harms facing young people can in fact escalate at this point – not least because professional involvement or service support reduces or stops altogether. Research also highlights that cognitive, social and neurobiological development continues well into our mid-twenties (Sawyer et al, 2018).

As a result of the disconnect between the safeguarding systems for children and adults, many young people face a ‘cliff edge’ and are left without support during this critical life-stage. This is not only damaging for young people and those who care about them, but is also an inefficient use of public money.