A referral should tell you about a life

Ideas for everyday support

Useful referral information brings together needs, preferences, current arrangements and the life a person wants to build.

A referral can contain a long history and still leave a simple question unanswered: what would a workable ordinary week look like for this person? A useful account should help the next team understand more than the list of services already involved.

This 2026 reflection explores the information that supports a meaningful referral conversation. It is particularly important when somebody is moving between settings or when an existing arrangement is no longer meeting their needs.

Begin with the person’s priorities

Ask what the person wants a new arrangement to make possible. This may involve a home, a relationship, an activity or a steadier daily routine. Describe the priority in their own terms where possible.

Include communication preferences and the people they want involved. An assessment conversation can be more useful when the individual knows what will be discussed, why it matters and how they can ask a question.

Describe current support accurately

Set out what assistance is currently provided, what is working and what remains difficult. Distinguish assessed needs, recent observations and questions that still require clarification. Avoid turning an uncertain account into a confirmed fact as it passes between documents.

Information about routines, health arrangements, relevant risks and agreed responses should be current and shared through the appropriate process. The receiving team needs enough detail to ask informed questions and consider whether an arrangement is suitable.

Explain the transition, not only the destination

NICE guidance on transition between inpatient mental health settings and community settings emphasises coordinated, person-centred planning. The practical implication is to consider what happens before, during and after a move.

Identify the organisations involved, responsibilities that need confirming and information that must travel with the person. Discuss the contact route for questions after the transition. An address and a start date cannot explain how those responsibilities connect.

Leave room for assessment

A referral begins a conversation about suitability; it should not imply that a particular placement, support level or start date is guaranteed before the relevant assessment and commissioning arrangements are complete.

Explain what information is still needed and how it will be considered. A clear next step helps the person and the people supporting them understand why a question is being asked, rather than experiencing the process as repeated paperwork.

A useful referral picture

The person’s priorities and preferred communication approach.
Current support, health arrangements and important contacts.
What is working, what has changed and what remains uncertain.
Relevant safety information and agreed professional plans.
The responsibilities and next steps in the assessment process.

A strong referral helps the next team understand a person in context. Its value lies in making an informed conversation possible, with the individual visible throughout the process.