Transcript Staying Put
‘Other Arrangements and Suitable
Accommodation’ – Placements for
Children Looked After Aged 16 & 17 (Outside the Care Standards Act 2000)
Developing a Regional Template and
Framework
Helle Penson, Hayley Mahon and John Short
2nd July 2013
My Background
• 25 Years Working in Social Care and Housing
• Department for Education – 2010 Regulations and
Guidance, Training Materials and “Staying Put”
Guidance
• Leaving Care, Children Looked After, Fostering,
UASC, Disabilities, SEND and Transitions –
Policy and Service Development and Training
• Supported Accommodation, Supported Lodgings,
Housing and Vulnerable/Homeless Young People
• Preparation for Independence Materials
• Fostering Policies – Finance – Tax and Benefits
Agenda
• Children’s Cross Regional Arrangements Group –
(CCRAG)
• Semi-independent Placement Issues 16 & 17 year
Olds – Background
• ‘Other Arrangements and Suitable Accommodation’
Placement Requirements From April 2010
• Development and Commissioning Issues
• Regional and National Approaches
• ‘Staying Put’
CCRAG
Independent Non-Maintained Special Schools and Children’s Residential Care Homes
• 35 member local authorities across the East, South East
and South West regions.
• Provides tools and a joined up consistent processes to
efficiently;
– Monitor contractual compliance (Form B)
– Monitor the services provided – (Form C)
• Gather and share information on fee uplift requests
(exceptional fees procedures).
• Sharing concerns (information sharing protocol)
• Source placements and share monitoring information
(database)
– Other Arrangements and Suitable Accommodation
– Staying Put
Background
• Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000
• Major increase in the use of, and spend on
private accommodation and support providers
since 2001
• Variability - quality and cost
• Outcomes, standards, integration with care
planning, limited expectation of providers
• Broad range of provision - shared
accommodation, flats, floating support
• Vulnerability, risk, levels of need and monitoring
Context
1.
2.
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3.
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Children and Young Persons Act 2008
Care Planning, Placement and Case Review
Regulations and Guidance 2010 – Volume 2
‘Other Arrangements’
Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers
Regulations and Guidance 2010 – Volume 3
‘Suitable Accommodation’
Separation of ceasing to be looked after from a
placement in semi-independent accommodation
Most young people should remain looked after until
their 18th birthday
Department for Education –
Frameworks - 1
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1.
2.
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4.
5.
From April 2011 each local authority is required to
have an – ‘Other Arrangements and Suitable
Accommodation’ framework
Placements outside the Care Standards Act 2000 and
therefore not inspected by Ofsted
Decision making regarding who is placed in ‘Other
Arrangements’ – levels of need and vulnerability
Needs of the young person – (including suitability of
location)
Suitability of the landlord/provider
Health and safety of the property
Statutory review and endorsement of the Independent
Reviewing Officer prior to a move
Other Arrangements and Suitable
Accommodation
• Care Planning, Placement and Case Review
Regulations and Guidance 2010 – Volume 2
– Chapter 3 - Page 60 to 66 - Section 3.101 to 3.127 –
Regulation 27 and Schedule 6
• Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers
Regulations and Guidance 2010 – Volume 3
– Chapter 7 – Page 49 to 51 – Section – 7.12 to 7.18 –
Regulation 9 and Schedule 2
Accommodation Pathways
1. Decision to place in ‘Other Arrangements’ – social
worker and independent reviewing officer
2. Requirements of the provider – standards, policies,
practise, monitoring and review – placements team
and commissioning?
3. Meeting the needs of young people – expectations
of providers in relation to individual young people –
inspection and audit – social workers –placements
team and commissioning?
4. Property standards
Tasks, processes, milestones, review and reporting
Issues - 1
• Often a last resort rather than stepping stone to
independence
• Full assessments - matching young people’s needs to
provider skills and to other young people – (‘out of
area’ young people)
• Shared responsibility – Pathway Plans, Placement
Plans, Health Plans, Personal Education Plans
• Rigorous staff recruitment, supervision, staff
development and training
• Chronologies – life story work/transitions to
adulthood, patterns of behaviour and group behaviour
– matching and risk
Issues - 2
• Fit for purpose policies and guidance –
provider and local authority
• Preparation for independence work - targets
and objectives - outcomes
• Multi-agency/partnership working, roles and
responsibilities, reviews - communications,
accountability – case ownership
• Sharing intelligence, evaluating and reassessing risk – reviews of providers
• Sexual exploitation and ‘missing’ children
Accommodation and Support Providers
1.
2.
Private Providers
Asylum Accommodation Providers
Registered Providers (Registered Social Landlords)
Accommodation only (independent and shared)
Shared supported accommodation (visiting support
to 24 hour on-site support)
3. Support only
Emergency access supported accommodation
Decision Making – Young People
• Process for assessing suitability of an ‘Other
Arrangements’ placement
• Roles and responsibilities
– Social Worker/Leaving Care Personal Adviser
– Independent Reviewing Officer
– Placement Team
– Commissioning Person/Team
• Resource approval (panel process, manager)
• Suitability of the overall arrangement
• Referral and matching of young person
Health and Safety - Property
• Environment Health Service/Private Sector Housing
Service - requirements
• Standard landlord and tenancy requirements
• Houses in Multiple Occupation requirements –
licensed and un-licensed
• Fire and rescue service inspections
• Gas and Electric Certificates
• Insurance – buildings - landlord
• Portable Appliance Testing
• Fire alarms, heat, smoke, carbon monoxide detectors
Suitability of the Landlord or Provider
Organisation
• DBS checks (Directors, staff etc)
• Recruitment procedures and verified
references
• Financial viability
• Insurance levels
– Employers liability
– Public liability
– Professional indemnity
• People with access to the property
Provider Policy Framework - 1
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Confidentiality, information and data
Safer caring and boundaries
Missing policies and check-in procedures
Case files, case recording and reports
Preparation for independence and promoting
good outcomes
• Partnerships - roles and responsibilities
• Managing risk and behaviour – identification
of risks and planning
Provider Policy Framework - 2
• Visitor policy – peers, guests and family
• Other authority young people – consistent
definition of level of need
• Registered social landlords
– Young people aged 16 to 24 (children and
adults)
• Concerns and complaints – inspecting
providers
– Two tier councils/local district council
– Area authority where placed
– Police, health – key partners
Existing Commissioning
Arrangements
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Pan London
North West Framework
CCRAG - Form A, B, C
Individual Local Authority Contracts and
Service Specifications – Enfield, Essex,
Hertfordshire
• Supporting People – Quality Assessment
Framework (QAF)
• Department for Education issues – Children’s
Home or Supported Accommodation (Annex
B)
Outcome
• To produce a comprehensive template service specification and inspection framework
• Available to all CCRAG members (other local
authorities)
• Can be localised to fit different local authority
priorities - sections can be amended, added or
deleted
• Consistency
• Wherever possible - avoid each authority
undertaking the same checks
Questions
Discussion
Workshop
1. What are the tensions and challenges
in your local authority regarding the use
of semi-independent accommodation
providers?
2. What framework do you have or use in
your local authority to oversee ‘Other
Arrangements’?