We attended the Tower Hamlets Community Safeguarding Conference 2026

We had kindly been invited to present the findings of our Preparing for Adulthood report, which highlights the experiences of young people with special educational needs and disabilities preparing for adulthood and their transition to adult services.

One of our key points highlighted that planning for adulthood should start earlier to allow detailed plans with achievable goals to be developed. 

Many of the young people we interviewed only began planning for their futures at age 17, suggesting more work is needed to ensure the planning phase starts as early as possible, giving young people enough time to discuss their wishes, explore their options and set realistic goals and the steps needed to achieve them.

Another key point was that young people should be provided with more practical support in securing apprenticeships, internships and employment.

Only 19% of the young people we spoke with had a support plan in place to help secure employment. Through our discussions with young people, we learned that many of them find it challenging to secure employment, which makes it essential that they are provided with opportunities to learn skills in a supportive environment. 

We highlighted the need for more meaningful opportunities in various industries, giving them a chance to discover, learn new skills and pursue something they truly enjoy. 

If you are interested in this research, you can read the full report here

We ended the day by speaking to people about the work that Healthwatch Tower Hamlets does at our stall and networking with other community organisations about how to protect vulnerable adults together.