Exploring the Implementation of Transition Planning in Residential Out-of-Home Care: Outcomes, Barriers, and Enablers

Transition planning commonly falls short in meeting the mandated goal of supporting young people in residential out-of-home care (OoHC) to prepare for independence from the State by age 18. To explore why, this study used implementation science frameworks to examine staff perceptions of transition planning’s feasibility, appropriateness and acceptability (implementation outcomes), and the barriers and enablers (determinants) influencing successful implementation. A cross-sectional survey was completed by 142 staff, from a residential OoHC provider (n = 102) and cross-sector teams (n = 40) in Victoria, Australia, enabling comparisons across work settings. Implementation outcomes were assessed using validated measures, and determinants were examined using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Each outcome clustered near neutral, indicating partial implementation, with both shared and divergent perspectives across work settings. Various determinants were identified across all CFIR domains, with 13 significantly predicting implementation outcomes. Implications for practice include strengthening staff capability, co-designing youth-friendly tools, embedding active implementation processes, and aligning policies and practices with developmental needs. Future qualitative research is needed to deepen the understanding of the salient contextual factors influencing implementation and how CFIR constructs are expressed within transition planning in residential OoHC.