Phased transitions can make the move much easier for many individuals, and increase the chance that they’ll be comfortable and happy in their new home.
A phased transition means that someone will move in over a period of weeks or months, letting them get used to their new environment and the people around them.
In this guide, we’ll explain in more detail what a phased transition is, why it can be helpful when moving to supported living, and how long you can expect it to take.
First, though, if you’re looking for a supported living placement, Find Your Room can help.
Searching for appropriate care services with availability can be difficult – care seekers and their loved ones often find themselves contacting dozens of care providers until they find the right one. However, Find Your Room’s supported living search takes some of the guesswork out of the process. Our website and app let you filter by availability, so you can avoid calling schemes that don’t have any space for you or your loved one.
What is a phased transition?
A phased transition to supported living is a gradual process, where someone visits and spends increasing periods of time in their new home before they move in.
Rather than moving in all on one day, the new resident will begin by visiting for a few hours at a time, and move up to overnight stays before fully moving in. This way, they’ll be familiar with the property, the staff, and their fellow residents, ahead of the big move.
Phased transitions are especially helpful if you’re considering supported living for mental health issues, learning disabilities, or autism. They can help individuals feel less anxious about the move, as they’ll already know their support team and feel comfortable in their new environment.
You might have come across phased transitions elsewhere – they’re not exclusive to supported living. Children may have a phased transition to start a new school, or someone who’s been ill might have a phased transition when they return to work. People might also have phased transitions to other types of care, such as day centres or care homes, depending on their needs.
Why is a phased transition helpful when moving to supported living?
Phased transitions to supported living can be especially helpful for people who struggle with change.
If you’re looking for supported living for adults with autism, learning disabilities, or other mental health concerns, you’re probably aware that transitions can be hard for people in this population.
Moving to supported accommodation is a particularly big change – after all, when someone moves to a supported living flat, they often need to learn new life skills, meet new people, and follow new routines. This change can cause a lot of anxiety and trauma – but taking things slowly can reduce the stress.
New residents can get to know their support team and neighbours over time, rather than meeting them all in one go. They can get used to new routines and learn new skills gradually.
For young people moving out of the family home for the first time, phased transitions also reduce the risk of homesickness and missing family members too much.
Phased transitions can also help family carers prepare for the move to supported living.
If you’ve always cared for a family member at home, you might be anxious about the upcoming move, too. During a phased transition, your loved one will visit their new home regularly, and you can see how they feel about the property, the staff team, and their new neighbours.
In some cases, a phased transition can also act as respite care. You might accompany your loved one on their first visits, but later on, it’s often helpful if they stay by themselves, so they can get used to new people and routines.
Is a phased transition strategy always appropriate?
Many residents won’t have a phased transition to supported living accommodation. There are several reasons for that, including:
- An individual may need supported housing urgently, and can’t afford to wait for the time that a phased transition would take. This might be because they are currently homeless, living in unsuitable accommodation, or waiting to be discharged from hospital.
- Depending on circumstances, phased transitions may be more expensive. Residents may need to pay two sets of housing and care costs during the transition phase, and, for many, this is impossible to manage.
- For people who are moving from one area to another, phased transitions can be logistically difficult – especially if you’re looking at supported living for complex health conditions. If the person struggles to travel long distances, a phased transition might be more stressful than a quick move.
- Some people might not want a phased transition, or their support team may feel that it would distress them. Many people do feel able to cope with moving in one day. If an individual doesn’t want a phased transition, you should respect their wishes.
Phased transitions are usually best if it’s a planned move to supported accommodation. For example, they often work well for a young person moving out of the family home for the first time, or if you’re arranging supported living for adults with autism who might struggle with changes.
How long will a phased transition take?
There’s no set length of time for a phased transition to supported accommodation. Each transition will look a little different – it all depends on the person moving to supported living.
The supported living team, the person and their family will all work together to put together a personalised phased transition plan that makes everyone feel comfortable.
A phased transition plan will usually look something like this:
- Short daytime visits, often to eat or take part in activities, with several days at home in between
- Longer daytime visits, building up to visiting every day of the week
- Staying over for one night
- Staying over for multiple nights
A family member or familiar carer might stay with the person at first. Later on, they may come for visits or overnight stays alone, and receive any necessary support from the supported living team.
For some people, this process might take place over a couple of weeks. For others, it might last several months. The planned timescale may change during the process, depending on how the person reacts at each stage.
Getting started with a phased transition to supported living
If you’re considering supported living for an autistic person, someone with learning disabilities, or mental health concerns, talk to the staff team about planning a phased transition strategy.
When you begin your supported living journey, make sure that the team understand the person’s needs, and why a phased transition is important for them. Staff at supported living for adults with autism or learning disabilities will usually be familiar with easing the transition between homes, and may have a suggested schedule or strategy that they can share with you.
To make sure that visits and overnight stays go well, prepare your loved one in advance. With the supported living team, explain what will happen, and help your loved one choose what to wear and take with them. For overnight visits, they may want to take their own blankets, pillows, or special toys.
After each familiarisation visit, talk to the staff team and your loved one to see how it went. Depending on their feelings, you may be able to speed up the process, or you may need to slow it down.
However, the first step in moving to supported living is finding the right property. Find Your Room is here to help with that. Use our supported living search to find accommodation with availability that’s just right for you or your loved one.
