Working with external providers

We carry out provider meetings throughout the year, these are open discussion style meetings and we invite providers to share any issues, good practise and any feedback that we can pass onto Local authority colleagues. Any feedback gathered is fed back to  Local authority colleagues.

Audience: Providers working with children from the North West region

Content: The sessions will consist of PNW updates, Local authority issues and feedback, discussion around current topics and provider feedback. 

Delivered by: Placements North West 

Location: Online via Teams

2025 Dates:

Residential: 10am 4 February, 1pm 29 July, 10am 5 November,

Fostering: 1pm 4 February, 10am 29 July, 1pm 5 November,

SEND: 1pm 26 March, 10am 10 September,

Alternative Provision: 1pm 24 March, 1pm 8 September,

Supported Accommodation: 10am 26 March, 1pm 10 September,

Duration: 60 minutes

Booking: Please email placementsnorthwest@stockport.gov.uk and include name, email and company name.

We recommend that anyone who is considering opening a new organisation or new settings in the North West speak to the host local authority in the first instance. This is to ensure that the new service is meeting need and that appropriate risk assessments can be done on the location. 

To request contacts for commissioning teams please contact placementsnorthwest@stockport.gov.uk but please be aware some teams receive a high volume of these requests and may take some time to respond. 

As part of our work to promote collaboration and ensure that all those who support children in the North West benefit from shared practice and learning we have an emerging training offer as outlined below. 

We welcome suggestions and feedback on this offer. Please direct these to placementsnorthwest@stockport.gov.uk.

All training is open to colleagues from North West local authorities and providers where specified. 

Placement referrals

This training is for Social workers, placement and commissioning teams. Anyone who is involved in writing referrals for children.

The content of this training includes the role of the commissioning team, sufficiency context for the North West, stability and placement endings, the impact of bad referrals, and provider and commissioning perspective. How to improve the quality of referrals through making a connection, focusing on outcomes, introducing flexibility, including the voice of the child. 

It is delivered by a local authority commissioning team member and a representative from an external provider of children's placements.

Information Sharing Protocol

This training is for Providers, placement and commissioning teams. Anyone who is involved in working with children in external placements.

The training will explain the purpose of the Information Sharing Protocol, overview of how it is used, how to raise a notification and working with providers to resolve issues.

Introduction to regional purchasing systems

This is for staff who are new to the purchasing systems, including those from new providers and new starters at current providers or placement and commissioning teams.

The training will explain the role of the Placements North West team, how the purchasing systems work, expectations of providers and local authorities and opportunities for engagement.  `

For more information, please click here.

There are four regional purchasing systems to support the commissioning of children's placements for North West authorities; these cover fostering, residential, supported accommodation and SEND placements for children.

Fostering Flexible Purchasing System (FPS) is the regional contract to facilitate the commissioning of high quality Fostering Placements for Children and Young People. We are looking to knowledgeable and experienced providers to work with us to transform the lives of children, enabling them to break down barriers and turn challenging situations into positive ones. 

Providers on the Fostering FPS

Residential Flexible Purchasing System (FPS) is the regional contract to facilitate the commissioning of high quality Residential Placements for Children and Young People. We are looking to knowledgeable and experienced providers to work with us to transform the lives of children, enabling them to break down barriers and turn challenging situations into positive ones. 

Providers on the Residential FPS

Supported Accommodation Flexible Purchasing System (FPS) is the regional contract to facilitate the commissioning of high quality Supported Accommodation Placements for Children and Young People (16+). We are looking for newly Ofsted registered providers to work with us to transform the lives of children soon to be leaving care, enabling them to demonstrate independence and be ready for life's next step. 

Providers on the Supported Accommodation FPS

SEND Flexible Purchasing System (FPS) will facilitate the commissioning of high quality day and residential Education Placements for Children and Young People, aged 0-25 years old. The contract now include Alternative Provision (AP)

Schools and Colleges on the SEND FPS

Alternative Provision on the SEND FPS

There are also other local purchasing arrangements, including:

• Liverpool City Region (LCR) Partner Provider Arrangement (PPA) 2020
• Lancashire Flexible Agreement for the provision of Fostering Agency Placements
• Lancashire Pseudo Dynamic Purchasing System (PDPS) for the provision of Childrens Home Services

For more information please click here

Each purchasing system has indicative prices listed to guide local authorities and providers when placements are made. Agreement of the indicative prices listed on the purchasing systems is managed through Placements North West and its governance arrangements. 

Once placements are made the contract is between the placing authority and the provider. Placements North West and the regional governance structure have no authority to make any changes to these contracts including agreeing increased fees. The annual uplift therefore will only be managed by Placements North West for indicative prices only.

This approach will sit across all contracts and include:

• Providers will be able to request an uplift annually. 
• New indicative prices will be implemented on 1 April each year. 
• A standard formula will be used to calculate the uplift percentage. This will be comprised of the National Living Wage increase and an average of CPIH for August, September and October in a 70:30 ratio. The final percentage will be shared with providers in December. 
• Providers will be required to submit a completed pro forma by the deadline to have the uplift applied to their prices. Late or incomplete requests will not be accepted. 

To find out more about this process, please click here.

Information Sharing Protocol (ISP)

This process was introduced to facilitate the timely sharing of information about providers between local authorities where there are events or concerns that may be relevant to their contractual relationship. It will assist authorities to monitor the quality of providers and protect the welfare of children and young people in care and offers a straightforward and consistent approach to information sharing. The approach is intended to be open and transparent. Providers will be given a chance to make comment on an ISP before it is shared to other local authorities.

Transitional Monitoring Arrangements (TMA)

All Supported Accommodation providers are now required to have registered with Ofsted. Ofsted are reporting a high volume of applications and therefore there are delays in providers receiving registration visits. Transitional monitoring was introduced to assess quality of providers in the time period between Ofsted registration and their first Ofsted inspection. Our TMA includes;

• Review of key policies: Health and Safety, Safeguarding, Safer recruitment, Missing from Home and Exploitation​
• Confirmation of Registered Service Manager’s experience and training​
• Review of staff training and qualifications

Please contact us by email placementsnorthwest@stockport.gov.uk