Residential or Supported Living

[blackcandle]

My 18 yo dc is at a specialist college which has more than half of their students are in residential setting. My dc has had terrible experience with the last two specialist provisions due to mismanagement and a complete incompetence use of unqualified staff. Unfortunately not only did they delayed her education further they made her very ill again and left with her more trauma. Anyway we re where we re.
18 is a difficult age even for normal dcs let alone one that with an ehcp due to mental illness and asd. Dc keeps saying she doesn’t want to live with us however I don’t think she can manage on her own and she is quite immature for her age. Just wondering if any parents here are willing to share your experience and knowledge about residential and supported living. What are the pros and cons?

I think the pros and cons of both depend on the individual’s needs and the supported living/residential options available. What is a pro for one person may be a con for another. So, I would start by looking at the possible options.

My dc’s scared of drugs and alcohol. I have no ideas the types of supported living available and how do they support young people. My dc needs help to support her to learn how to live independently and also continue her college course.

Have you spoken to social care?

What support supported living provides depends on the specific provider and the individual’s needs.

We re in the process of get for her a social worker. So may be once she got a social worker she will be assessed and see what s best for her. Just I m completely ignorant about supported living for young adults. She needs support to make sure she attends college and learn to look after money and manage her meals and anxiety most importantly monitor her med and medical appointments.

As well as an assessment by social care, it sounds like you need a review of the EHCP.

Some of the things you mention come under preparation for adulthood and should be included in the EHCP.

Does DD’s specialist college have residential placements as well as day placements? If so, you could look at boarding there.

Yes, that s one of the major reasons we opted for that college but it would cost the council an arm and a leg. I believe it ll be very difficult to get it agreed.

Any residential or supported living option will cost a lot whether it is via it being named in an EHCP or not.

The benefit of the residential educational placement is that it is not means tested and there is the ability to appeal to SENDIST.

Just that being 18 yo may make it more difficult to keep the ehcp year after year

EHCPs can last until 25, or up to 26 in some situations.

Once they re 18 would the council scrutinize it more?

Even post 18, the LA can only lawfully cease to maintain the EHCP in certain circumstances that don’t apply to your situation. If they try to cease to maintain you can appeal and the EHCP must be maintained until the conclusion of any potential appeal.

Sometimes my dc hates the EHCP because her previous terrible experiences! I m concerned she would messy it up. She often believes all specialist provisions re bad.