HC-SOP-013: Continuity of care when a client relocates

Standards › Standard 29 › Standard operating procedures (SOPs)

Procedure · HC-SOP-013 · Version 1.0 · Approved by the ASF Expert Committee

Supports: 29.45

1. Purpose

To keep care continuous when a migrant or refugee client relocates (29.45).

2. Scope

Applies to	Clinical and support staff in the home care service
Locations	All client homes and the service’s offices
When	Whenever the activity described is carried out
Does not apply to	Activities covered by another document listed in section 16

3. Definitions

Term	Meaning
Migrant or refugee client	A client who is a migrant or a refugee.
Relocation	A client’s move to a new address.
Portable care summary	A summary of the client’s care that the client can take to a new provider (HC-FRM-012).
Handover	Active passing of care to a new provider, where the new provider is known.
Consent	The client’s agreement, recorded before the summary is shared.
Duty clinical lead	The clinical lead on duty at the time, who receives serious problems first.
Escalation	Passing a serious problem at once to the duty clinical lead, and to the clinical director the same day.

4. Background

A migrant or refugee client who moves house must keep their care. Losing a caregiver and a service at a move can leave them without care for weeks.

5. Responsibilities

Role	Responsibility	Competence
Home care service lead	Owns the relocation process	Clinician or manager
Care coordinator	Prepares the summary and the handover	Staff

6. Materials and equipment

Item	Requirement	Condition
Records and forms named in this document	Current version	Checked before use

7. Safety

• Stop and call for help if a client is at immediate risk. Do not delay urgent care to complete paperwork.

8. Before you start

• Confirm the forms and equipment named in this document are available and current.

9. Procedure

10. Decision points

• No decision points in this procedure.

11. Special situations

Situation	Action
Out of hours	Follow the same steps.

12. Escalation

• Any serious problem goes to the duty clinical lead at once and to the clinical director the same day.

13. Monitoring

Measure	Target	Frequency	Owner	If not met
Relocations with a summary and confirmed care	100%	Quarterly	Home care service lead	Escalate to medical director

14. Records

Record	Kept in	Retention
Record named in this document	Client record or the area file	the period set by the facility’s records policy (in years)

15. Training

• Staff are trained in this document at induction and refreshed each year, with a recorded competency check.

16. Related documents

ID	Title	Use
HC-FRM-012	Portable client care summary	Record
HMG-FRM-001	Migration history and trauma-aware assessment record (existing, reused)	Record

17. Evidence

Reference	Note
E-006	ASF Policy Framework v1.2. Adapted.
E-009	ASF Expert Committee consensus.

18. Change history

Version	Date	What changed	Approval
1.0	—	Initial release	Approved by the ASF Expert Committee

E-learning for this document

• Refugee & Migrant Health — Endorsement Course (H-09)

References

• Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Policy Framework v1.2. (E-006)
• Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Expert Committee consensus on Standard 29. (E-009)