Guidance and templates

These resources support Local Authorities and providers in undertaking robust pre-placement planning, due diligence and decision-making. Together, they provide a framework for gathering relevant information, assessing risk, and ensuring appropriate checks have been completed before a placement is agreed.

The NW Pre-Placement Information Requirements document sets out the expected information and documentation that providers should share with Local Authority placement teams during the referral process and when establishing an Initial Placement Agreement (IPA). It outlines the minimum information requirements across a range of placement types and supports consistent information sharing, regulatory compliance and informed placement decision-making.

The Pre-Placement Checklist is designed for Local Authority use and draws on best practice from across the North West. It supports authorities in reviewing local processes, undertaking due diligence and ensuring that key considerations have been addressed before a placement is agreed.

The High Risk Provision Guidance and Template provides an outline approach for authorities when considering placements in high-risk provision. In this context high risk provision includes:

• Children living in Ofsted registered homes graded Inadequate
• Under 16s living in unregulated supported accommodation
• Over 16s living in unregulated supported accommodation who are receiving care
• Children living in unregistered childrens homes

Safeguarding and wellbeing of the young person remain central to this guidance and the key consideration is the risk to young people of not managing these types of provision effectively, the aim of this guidance is to keep young people safe in these placements.

Together, these resources support safe, consistent and well-informed placement decisions. Authorities may choose to request additional information or undertake further checks in line with their own local due diligence and quality assurance processes

The template aims to:

• Facilitate the timely and consistent approach to sharing of information between local authorities about the availability of local area services to meet the needs of the child whilst living in the area
• Enables host local authority commissioners the opportunity to highlight when access to some services may be restricted
• Provides the placing authority commissioner and social worker to consider alternative services, should they choose to place in the knowledge that not all services are available to meet the child’s needs.

This template is provided for information only. It is the responsibility of host authorities to provide information on the availability of local services. It is the responsibility of the placing authority to consider if the information results in the placement offer being declined, if alternative services cannot be sourced. The lack of availability of a local service will not determine whether a placement offer will be declined, in some cases this may be the only placement offer, however, it does provide a mandate to explore alternatives to ensure the needs of the child are young person can be met.

This template is based on the statutory guidance authorities must carry out prior to placing a child out of borough. The template guides authorities to consider not only the ability of the placement provider but wider public services ensuring health, education and broader needs of the child can be met within the locality. A checklist is also available to aid the call between team managers, as per the guidance.  

The template aims to:

• Create some more standardisation in the referrals providers are receiving from North West authorities.
• Respond to provider feedback and concerns about referrals and draw together best practice from across the North West. 

This template is provided for information only and authorities may choose to use some, or all of the content and reformat according to local needs. 

The template aims to:

• Set out a mechanism for providers to update authorities on progress of children in their settings.
• Respond to provider feedback and concerns about referrals and draw together best practice from across the North West. 

This template is provided for information only and authorities may choose to use some, or all of the content and reformat according to local needs. 

These templates are designed as best practice tools in quality assurance of residential and supported accommodation settings. They take a thematic approach and designed to store all provider information from pre placement checks to ongoing quality assurance, in one place and to be built upon over time. We encourage North West authorities to share completed quality assurance documents in the regional SharePoint folders to support joint quality assurance across the region, reducing duplication for authorities and providers.

Please do not use the tools in full/single visit. Select the areas and themes of interest or concern and adapt to align with local quality assurance processes. Please note the guidance in tab 1, tabs for desk-based assessments and further tabs for onsite check. The sections provide guidance for what to look for, discussion points and contain relevant references from The Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023.

If you have any feedback on the templates please email angela.gibbons@stockport.gov.uk.

The North West Minimum Standards for Non-School Alternative Provision provide a framework for North West authorities and schools to quality assure provision. The North West Minimum Standards for Non-School Alternative Provision are based on the Department for Education (DfE) National Voluntary Standards for Non-School Alternative Provision with some additionality. Additional requirements or checks are set out clearly within the document. Use of this document is not mandated and is intended to supplement existing processes where relevant.

The IFA protocol is intended to be an open and transparent way for local authorities to collaborate when concerns are identified within external fostering provision. 

The protocol supports local authorities to keep children safe by: 

• Facilitating the timely sharing of information about providers between local authorities where there are events or concerns that may be relevant to their contractual relationship or the wellbeing of children in placement. 
• Helping authorities to navigate the quality assurance and service improvement process, whilst safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in care. 
• Offering a straightforward and consistent approach to quality concerns in the fostering market. 

This protocol is intended to supplement and not replace local authority due diligence and quality assurance processes. The protocol is set out for North West local authorities but may include engaging placing authorities from outside the region as relevant.