Transition to adult social care from residential schools

Introduction

Little is known about the transition into adult social care from a residential school for young people with intellectual/developmental disabilities, despite evidence suggesting that attendance at a residential school may be a risk factor for later placement out-of-area. The proposed research aims to examine the type and location of adult social care settings that individuals are placed in following attendance at a residential school, and to examine factors which may contribute to the placement being in- or out-of-area.

During phase 1, all residential schools in England (and adult commissioners in London and the South East of England) will be asked to complete a questionnaire for each young person who has left the school within the past three years. In phase 2, a sample of these young people who transitioned within the last 2 years will be followed up including samples of those placed in- and out-of-area, and interviews will be conducted with individuals who were involved in their transition (e.g. family carers, staff, commissioners / care managers, social workers etc). Analysis of data from the two phases will allow for identification of the type/location of adult settings, the needs of the young people placed in different types of settings, and factors which contributed to the placement being in- or out-of-area.