Transitional Safeguarding is an “approach to safeguarding adolescents and young adults fluidly across developmental stages which builds on the best available evidence, learns from both children’s and adult safeguarding practice and which prepares young people for their adult lives”. (Research In Practice, ‘Mind the Gap’, 2018).
It is a rights based and person centred approach to adult safeguarding which recognises young adults experience transitions differently so they require more tailored support. Transitional Safeguarding is a joined up multi-agency approach to policy and practice, not just a transition from Children's to Adults Social Care. In Essex, we have a joint protocol that outlines our process. Essex Transitional Safeguarding Protocol
It is important to remember that harm from Risk in the Community does not always stop at 18 years, some young people will be at continued risk of harm post 18 years, or harm may be first identified when they are post 18 years. The United Nation definition of 'youth' goes up to 25 years old and adolescent brain development tells us that young adults are more vulnerable to exploitation up to this age as their brain achieves emotional and cognitive maturation.
Exploitation trauma impacts on a person's capacity to deploy protective factors against this threat so young adults also require professionals to step in to take away this threat and provide support to heal from this trauma. Young adults cannot consent to their own abuse therefore they require a safeguarding response from key professionals.
In Essex there is a dedicated multi-agency meeting forum to explore the harm for young adults and to develop a community-based approach to increasing their safety whilst reducing harm for them and any other unknown victims. These meetings are known as Multi-Agency Transitional Enablement meetings (MATE).