Transition to adult social care from residential schools V.2
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Transition to adult social care from residential schools for young people with intellectual / developmental disabilities V.2
IRAS ID
185631
Contact name
Peter McGill
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 1 months, 28 days
Research summary
The use and appropriateness of out-of-area placements for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have received increasing scrutiny due to scandals (such as Winterbourne View) which highlight the vulnerability of individuals placed in such settings to abuse and poor practice. In addition, these placements often present barriers to community inclusion and may not be better quality or more specialised than local community supports (Barron, Hassiotis, & Pachos, 2011; Beadle-Brown et al., 2006; Health & Social Care Information Centre, 2013). Emerging evidence suggests a link between out-of-area adult placements and previous attendance at a residential school (e.g. Gore et al., 2015), however little research has examined this link or the role that the transition process may play in subsequent placements.
The current project aims to examine the type and location of adult support settings where individuals who attended a residential school are placed, and to identify factors which may contribute to this placement being in- or out-of-area. The project involves two phases. Firstly, all residential schools in England and adult commissioners in London and the South East of England will be asked to provide anonymous information about young people who transitioned from a residential school within the past 3 years. This will provide information on the characteristics of the young people, where, and in what type of setting they were placed, and factors relating to the school and adult support setting.
In Phase 2 we will interview four groups of people regarding their experiences of transition. One group will be made up of young people with learning disabilities able to consent to being interviewed. The second group will be family carers, the third residential school staff and the fourth local authority staff. This will provide a range of perspectives on the transition process including experiences of both in- and out-of-area placements.
REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
15/IEC08/0062
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jan 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion