The purpose of this document is to assist policy makers, practitioners and other concerned individuals to transform systems of institutional care into those based on family and community support. The guidance in this manual is based on current best practices in deinstitutionalizing children from residential care, identified from the experience of childcare professionals across the European region. The manual attempts to alert the reader to some of the challenges and obstacles and offers advice and practical methods for addressing them.Chapter eight considers preparing and moving staff and addresses possible resistance to the closure of an institution from the institution personnel and provides those involved in managing de-institutionalization with methods for reducing staff resistance. The chapter also reminds practitioners that their primary duty is to the children and that the new services must be designed to address children’s needs, not those of the personnel. Tools are provided to assist in the assessment of the suitability of individual members of staff from institutions to work in the new services.
