Transition from residential special educational settings: outcomes for individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability in England

Young people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDDs) are often placed in residential educational placements. There is little research examining the use of such placements and outcomes following these, despite emerging recognition that they may be linked to out-of-area placements in adulthood (which are themselves often linked to poor outcomes for individuals). This study aimed to examine the characteristics of young people with IDD transitioning from a residential educational setting in England, describe post-transition placement characteristics, and identify factors that predict post-transition placement location. Methods. All residential educational placements in England were invited to complete a survey about the setting (e.g., size, pupil characteristics, specialism, and fees) and anonymous questionnaires for each young person with IDD who had recently transitioned from the setting (focusing on young person characteristics, educational placement, and post-transition placement characteristics). Results. Responses were received for 47 residential educational settings and 320 young people. Young person characteristics differed between those who had attended a school or a college. 35.9% of post-transition placements were out-of-area, with 31.2% of home-area placements being in the family home. Out-of-area placement was found to be significantly predicted by young person characteristics, prior placement in a residential school, post-transition placement in residential care, or in a setting that was linked to the educational placement. Discussion. Extrapolation from the current study suggests that several hundred young people transition from residential educational settings each year, more than a third of whom are likely to be transitioning to an out-of-area placement. This underscores the importance of improved support for this population around their transition. Implications for policy and practice are highlighted.