*note that Transition in this instance refers to an individual’s Transition into a residential placement either from school, college or home

As we said in Step 2, the most important thing to ensure a smooth Transition is to get a good assessment in the first place.  Second to that are the right choice of home, and then the right level of funding to ensure the right level of support.

Everyone’s transition is different. It can span several days or several months depending on the individual’s needs. Transition will progress at a pace at which the individual is able to manage and understand, avoiding any unnecessary anxiety.

A good Transition does rely on good planning e.g. who should be involved, how many visits should take place, where and when, how many times staff should visit the school or college, how often the individual should come to the home, how many overnight stays etc.  After all this has been discussed, a flexible, tailored plan and timeline should be designed with the individual’s involvement and in line with his or her aspirations and wishes. This process should include the following people:

• The individual
• The care manager (social worker, nurse practitioner)
• Family / carers
• The Assessment Manager (Provider)
• The Home Manager (Provider)
• The Designated Transition Co-Ordinator (Provider)

As the Transition develops so should the personalisation of somebody’s room, adapting their room or communal areas, equipment and bathrooms and reducing the levels of anxiety due to change.  Change is the big issue and the anxiety that comes from that change seems to be the common element with everybody.

What To Consider During The Moving In Period

Transition differs from provider to provider but in general, the the same team around a particular individual should be used.  At HFHC we have something called the focus support team and we will draw people from other homes to support that person right through Transition.  Then when the individual moves in that team will support that person whilst they settle in.

Moving into a new home can be a confusing time for individuals until they become settled in their new environment.  As they orientate themselves and get to know staff and other people in the home, our experience is that it is often best if during this period families and carers balance the frequency of visits.

Viewpoint of a Provider

“Each transition should get better and better as you learn from the last one you have done.  Poor communications are the thing to watch out for.  When you have a dispersed team coming together and more staff get involved as that person moves in communication is key. Even in a good organisation it does take a long time to make sure all staff (30 odd staff working in a home) making sure everybody who comes into contact with that person absolutely knows what the issues are.  Also probably some of the biggest problems arise when we haven’t been given all of the facts about somebody’s behaviour, issues around individuals.  We had a situation where we were not alerted about somebody and a behaviour which hadn’t been picked up in the transition because it hadn’t actually occurred during that time. It was very alarming because there was no awareness of this. 

When people are telling you things, you are assuming they know all the information.   We are on the backfoot.  When someone comes from another organisation, you are relying on how well they are supporting that person, do they have all the information on that person?

Read Transition Step 1: Starting the Process

Read Transition Step 2: Getting the Right Assessment

Read Transition Step 3: Access to Funding

Read Transition Step 5: What Happens Afterwards