National Care Standards: Care homes for people with drug and alcohol misuse problems

Moving on

Introduction to standard 16

Plans for you to move on begin early in your stay. At the first meeting about your personal plan, you and (wherever possible) your care manager will be involved in looking forward to the next stage. Each review meeting looks at your moving on and aftercare. You are involved in developing your aftercare plan.

If the move is to be successful, you must be able to take your time.
You must be supported by the people around you.

You can expect that you and your representatives will be involved in all stages of planning related to moving on.

Standard 16

You know that preparing for moving on will be properly planned and discussed over a suitable period by you and your representative (if you want) and the service staff.

1 The staff support you in planning for your future from the time you start using the service. This is part of your personal plan. You are involved in all meetings to discuss your future move. You are encouraged by the staff to use all the experience you have gained while using the service in deciding on your next move.

2 The staff support you to make links with agencies or groups in the community before you leave. They help you to make and keep appointments with community agencies.

3 You are involved in assessing the possible risk for yourself or others if you move.

4 You contribute to your aftercare plan.

5 In consultation with your representative, care manager and staff, you decide when you want to move.

6 You attend a discharge meeting with your representative, care manager and other agencies involved, at least seven days before you leave, to make sure that all arrangements are in place.

7 Within two days of you leaving, the staff will send a discharge summary letter and progress report to your care manager and other key agencies involved in your care.

8 You receive social and emotional support during and after the move. Staff help you to keep your confidence and build on your knowledge and skills. They help you to look at what the options are and to develop plans for the future.

9 You are supported to keep up friendships.

10 If you have to leave in an emergency or in an unplanned way, the move will be with the minimum of risk to yourself or others. The reasons will be consistent with the service's clear written policy on exclusion and 'house rules'. The policy shows the circumstances in which you may be asked to leave and the circumstances in which you may be eligible to re-apply for admission.

11 Key professional staff, including your care manager and GP, will be notified within 24 hours of your emergency or unplanned discharge. They will be given the reasons, any potential risks you may face, medication given and required, and the progress you have made during your stay.

If you have young and dependent children in the home

12 You, your representative and care manager discuss your discharge in advance, to make sure that your child or children are not being put at risk.

13 You know that the service cannot ask you to leave in an unplanned way.