Exploration phase: Improving transition planning in residential out-of-home care

This mixed-methods study explored how transition planning is implemented in Victoria, Australia, from the perspective of young people, residential out-of-home care staff and cross-sector staff. Data were collected from 46 interviews, 105 surveys, and 95 transition plan documents. The study explored who participates in transition planning, how it is conceptualised and implemented in practice, and differences across demographic contexts. Findings revealed that young people receive support from multiple organisations, with Child Protection (the government agency responsible for child welfare) and the residential care provider consistently involved. However, interpretations of who holds primary responsibility varied across the workforce, and young people’s participation typically occurred indirectly through informal conversations rather than through formal goal-setting processes. Transition planning was conceptualised as a task-oriented process focused on securing housing, meeting basic needs, and developing life skills, with significant variation in how it was understood across demographic contexts. Implementation was shaped by system-driven transition plan documentation, supplemented with multiple documents and bespoke tools to address young people’s diverse needs. Young people typically exited residential care between ages 16 and 17, with limited long-term pathways out of care. Their readiness to leave residential care was determined by the Child Protection agency, which holds legal guardianship of young people in residential care to age 18. The findings highlight the need for policy and practice improvements to: (a) strengthen role clarity, (b) develop a shared understanding of core transition planning components, and (c) align transition planning processes with young people’s developmental readiness. Further research is needed to explore how transition planning can be enhanced to better meet young people’s diverse needs.
Keywords: care leavers, innovation, out-of-home care, plan, residential care, transition from care.