Guidance and templates

This template gathers practice from templates across the region and is designed to support authorities in reviewing local practice. 

This guidance note sets out an outline approach and templates for authorities using high risk provision. It is intended to be used in conjunction with the internal policies and procedures in each authority.

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.

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.