Placement of Children Looked After and Care Leavers Aged 16 and 17 in Semi-Independent Placements

1. Introduction

Hertfordshire County Council is committed to ensuring all children in its care have the right placement to meet their needs. For many children, that is either a foster placement or residential placement. However, when a child reaches 16 they can access Supported Accommodation. These settings provide support for 16 and 17 year olds who have an increased level of independence. These settings still provide a 'caring environment', while focusing on providing support for these young people to develop their independent living skills in preparation for adulthood.

See Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations including Quality Standards (publishing.service.gov.uk).

2. The Care Planning Process for Semi-Independent Placement

An assessment of the young person's needs, undertaken to inform his or her Care Plan or Pathway Plan, may conclude that for some young people, these needs will be best met by a placement in semi-independent provision. The young person's needs must be matched to the services provided by the placement and that the provider and placement be safe and suitable.

The decision that the young person may be placed in such a placement must be scrutinised in a Child Looked After Review and requires a change in the Care Plan.

Suitable accommodation is accommodation:

• Which, so far as reasonably practicable, is suitable for the young person in light of their needs, including:
  • Their wishes and feelings;
  • Their health needs;
  • Their ability to manage some time living independently;
  • Location and access to training or employment needs;
  • Location and access to family support networks, and move on opportunities;
  • Risk and safeguarding issues, both to and from others and relating to the physical environment;
  • Facilities and services provided;
  • Support available;
  • The character and suitability of the landlord/provider, and other household/family members, provider staff and any other resident young people;
  • Tenancy status;
  • The financial commitments involved for the young person and their affordability.
• In respect of which the Brokerage Accommodation Team (BAT)has satisfied itself as to the character and suitability of the landlord or other provider including other household/family members, provider staff and other resident young people;
• Where the accommodation provider and accommodation setting are both registered with Ofsted as supported accommodation, and complies with all Ofsted mandated quality standards.

It is beneficial (but not always viable) for the young person to have viewed the setting prior to a move in the accommodation. The arrangements for the provision of support and monitoring must be set out in their Placement Plan and Pathway Plan. It should be clear what support is provided in the accommodation, and where any specific packages of support need to be provided to address particular needs of the young person.

A Placement Plan must be completed prior to any such move (when this is not possible it must be within 5 working days). The meeting to complete this must include the young person and the person who will have the most day to day contact with them for example their 'key worker' or support worker. It must state:

• How the provider will support the young person;
• Under what circumstances their bedrooms or their independent accommodation will be entered;
• In circumstances where a lone worker is present in the shared supported accommodation and it is important to enter a young person's room, authorisation and agreement should be sought from a manager or supervisor within the organisation. In circumstances where a lone visiting/floating support worker needs to gain entry to an independent property this should only be undertaken following agreement from a manager or supervisor within the organisation;
• A 'Checking In Procedure' that enables floating support and accommodation based support staff to verify the well-being of a young person;
• Agreements, if any, regarding when the young person can stay overnight away from the provision, with whom, for how long and how often.

The provider organisation, Brokerage Accommodation Team (BAT), Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) and the Social Worker must be satisfied that the young person is sufficiently mature and able to manage the increased level of independence that this placement offers.

3. Moving to Semi-independent Placement

There may be a change in the young person's circumstances that are difficult to anticipate. These young people will have less support than those placed with full time carers. A CS Factsheet 034 Key contacts and Basic Information Checklist should be completed for this entire group of young people in the event they go missing. See Children and Young People Who Go Missing from Home or Care, or Who are Vulnerable to Sexual Exploitation. 

4. Monitoring Arrangements - Missing

To support making decisions about a young person being 'Missing' or that they have other safeguarding needs.

4.1 Floating Support Workers (FSW)

The 'Checking in Procedures' agreed in the Placement Plan to enable FSWs to verify the well-being and whereabouts of a young person. It should build-in:

• Regular contact times (daily to weekly) with the young person;
• The minimum floating support will be a weekly visit/session;
• Be flexible for young people who may be working irregular shifts, having regular overnight stays at parents or with extended family members or where they are not engaged in a positive activity and are more active in the evenings and at night time when staff members are less available.

At the end of each FSW visit/session young people must be given a written record of the date, time and location of their next scheduled session. A consistent FSW must be provided who, wherever possible, who avoids cancellation.

If a young person is not there/doesn't attend the FSW must ring the young person to verify their well-being and arrange a new session.

FSWs must verify the well-being of the young person through personal contact or phone contact, a text message is not sufficient. The FSW must use the pre-arranged memorable or 'safe phrase' or 'word' (Check-In Procedure) to check that the young person is acting with free will. If there are any concerns about their responses or concern's about their risk/vulnerability this should be reported to the FSW manager, BAT, Social Worker/Out of Hours Service (OOHS) and the police for a decision and/or action.

If the young person cannot be contacted by phone, a text message should be sent requesting that the young person contacts the FSW. If the young person does not respond within one hour the FSW must contact the key contacts in the Hertfordshire Key Contacts and Basic Information Form.

If there are any particular concerns about the young person and any risk issues relating to them the young person should be reported missing immediately.

If after six hours (if there are no particular concerns or risks) from the time the FSW session/visit was scheduled the young person has not made contact, and it has not been possible to locate and verify the young person's well-being consultation with the Children and Young People Who Go Missing from Home or Care, or Who are Vulnerable to Sexual Exploitation should be referred to, in order to reach a decision about whether the young person should be reported as missing to the police.

If a FSW has to cancel a visit/session the FSW provider must contact the young person and provide an alternative FSW (if the young person has positive relationships with a number of floating support workers) or arrange a future FSW visit/session. The well-being of the young person should be verified as above.

If the young person cancels the FSW visit/session their well-being should be verified and the session rearranged for a new date and time as soon as possible. FSWs must assess the young person's reason for cancelling the session/visit and evaluate whether it is a valid reason, or the cancellation is an indicator of the young person's level of vulnerability and risk. An unscheduled visit may be required to verify the young person's well-being.

If a young person cancels two FSW visits/sessions, FSW must amend the programme of support appropriately.

4.2 Shared Accommodation with a) Limited On site/Visiting Support and b) 24 Hour Support

The placement plan must state:

• The hours that staff are available;
• How to access staff in an emergency and at night;
• What the 'Check in Procedures' are for the particular provision;
• Clarity about the monitoring arrangements that are approved to meet this young person's needs;
• Risk Assessment and Action Plan on LCS to be used, if appropriate.

Monitoring arrangements:

Registered landlord supported accommodation provisions may have:

• Electronic entrance door and room door key systems that link to an office computer that provides information regarding which residents are present;
• A staff room located by the entrance which enables residence entering and leaving during office hours to be monitored;
• Sign in and/or CCTV systems to monitor young people entering and leaving.

The monitoring and 'missing' procedure of the independent provider must be realistic and possible to implement to meet both the needs of the young person and the supported accommodation provision. They must also meet the requirements of the Ofsted regulation of supported accommodation regarding how providers should respond to missing young people.

Where individual supported accommodation provision's are entirely occupied by Children Looked After and care leavers aged 16 & 17 it is required that the provision will have a monitoring and 'Missing' procedure covering the whole provision that acknowledges the potential vulnerability of the entire client group and will also have an individual monitoring and 'Missing' procedures for each young person contained within their Placement Plan.

Children looked after and care leavers aged 16 and 17 should only stay away overnight with permission of their social worker, or supported accommodation keyworker (SAK). The SAK can only give permission for overnight stays if this is in accordance with the Placement Plan.

The SAK must have face to face contact at least weekly, and up to daily. Contact may be at Keywork sessions held to monitor the well-being and any changing circumstances for the young person which may increase their vulnerability and therefore may make contact and behaviour more erratic.

If a young person fails to attend their keywork session or 'Check-In' contact the SAK should carry out the same actions as the FSW above.

When developing 'Missing' procedures, registered landlords and private providers should use appendix two as a guide for formulating their own procedure that takes into account the specific circumstances of their service.

5. Monitoring -Semi-Independent Settings and their compliance with Ofsted Regulations

This should be read in conjunction with the detailed expectations of providers in Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations including Quality Standards (publishing.service.gov.uk).

The Supported Accommodation Regulations require providers to meet 4 standards:

1. The Leadership and Management Standard;
2. The Protection Standard;
3. The Accommodation Standard;
4. The Support Standard.

Where individual staff have any comments or concerns regarding the standards, they should raise these with their manager and inform the Brokerage Accommodation Team. Depending on the seriousness of the issue, these should be raised immediately, or, via e-mail where issues are less significant.

The requirements for each standard are:

The Leadership and Management Standard

1. The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the supported accommodation undertaking that puts children first and prioritises their wellbeing and development;
2. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to:
   1. lead and manage the supported accommodation undertaking in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the undertaking's statement of purpose;
   2. ensure that staff work effectively as a team, where appropriate, to meet the needs of children;
   3. ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills appropriate for the work that they are to perform;
   4. ensure that the supported accommodation undertaking has sufficient staff to support and accommodate children safely and effectively;
   5. implement recruitment practices that ensure staff are suitable to work with children and to keep them safe from harm (1);
   6. ensure that arrangements are in place to manage referrals of children to the supported accommodation undertaking and admissions of children to premises used as supported accommodation, including, where relevant, emergency referrals and admissions;
   7. ensure that arrangements are in place for the supervision, training and development of staff;
   8. ensure that each child is fully aware of their entitlements throughout the duration of their placement in supported accommodation, including:
      1. what they can expect from the provision of supported accommodation;
      2. their entitlement to education;
      3. where relevant, their entitlements as a looked after child (1);
      4. where relevant, their entitlements as a care leaver, and where necessary, support each child to access those entitlements.
   9. ensure that staff have the skills necessary to support children to identify, access and receive their entitlements in a way that helps them to learn to identify, access and receive their entitlements independently in the future;
   10. ensure that a workforce plan (see regulation 10) for the supported accommodation undertaking is in place;
   11. ensure that a business continuity plan is in place, covering all areas, including staffing, premises, emergency scenarios and closure of the supported accommodation undertaking.

The Protection Standard

1. The protection standard is that children are enabled to feel safe and that their needs are met.
2. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to:
   1. ensure that children:
      1. are protected from harm;
      2. are enabled to keep themselves safe;
      3. have their individual needs met;
      4. have 24-hour access to help in a crisis or emergency situation.
   2. prepare and implement child protection policies;
   3. ensure that the effectiveness of child protection policies is kept under review and ensure that, where appropriate, those policies are revised;
   4. comply with requests from a local authority to provide it with information relating to a child for which it is the accommodating authority;
   5. ensure that there is a suitable person representing the supported accommodation undertaking available to attend any meeting the accommodating authority may hold about a child;
   6. ensure that staff:
      1. are familiar and act in accordance with child protection policies;
      2. have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation or any other harm, and act to reduce such risk;
      3. work collaboratively with children to help them understand how to keep safe, by offering guidance and support on how to minimise any potential risk of harm;
      4. work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies, and share information where relevant to keep children safe;
      5. support children to maintain appropriate and safe relationships with family, friends and other people who are important to them;
      6. understand the relevant roles and responsibilities assigned to them by the registered person in relation to protecting children.

The Accommodation Standard

1. The accommodation standard is that children experience a comfortable and secure living environment;
2. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to:
   1. ensure that the location of the premises used as supported accommodation is suitable for the category or categories of supported accommodation provided, by:
      1. reviewing the appropriateness and suitability of the location of each of the premises used as supported accommodation ("a location assessment"), and in doing so, consult and take into account the views of each relevant person;
      2. carrying out a location assessment of each of the premises used as supported accommodation at least once in each calendar year.
   2. ensure that the premises used as supported accommodation:
      1. provide stability and consistency of accommodation for children;
      2. enable children to have consistent and continuous access to local services, including education and healthcare;
      3. promote children's positive self-esteem and sense of belonging within the local community, and discourage stigmatisation of children;
      4. are located so as to enable children to actively participate and form relationships in the local community;
      5. are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child individually and all children collectively;
      6. are suitable for the purposes of supported accommodation and are accessible, safe, secure and well-maintained;
      7. offer a comfortable, positive and nurturing environment, while respecting children's need for privacy;
      8. are adequately maintained so as to provide a welcoming and homely environment within both individual and shared living spaces;
      9. are designed, furnished and maintained to remove avoidable hazards which could pose a health and safety risk to children;
      10. comply with all relevant health and safety and fire safety legislation, that being any statutory provision dealing with health and safety or fire safety matters.
   3. only use devices for monitoring or surveillance in communal areas and then only if:
      1. the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children;
      2. each child's accommodating authority consents to the monitoring or surveillance;
      3. children are informed in advance of the intention to carry out monitoring or surveillance;
      4. the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to each child's need for privacy.
   4. ensure that each child is provided with a private bedroom:
      1. with sufficient space to accommodate a reasonable number of personal possessions;
      2. which is equipped to meet the child's individual needs;
      3. which has sufficient telephone or internet connectivity in order to enable the child to maintain relationships and feel connected;
      4. which is physically secure.
   5. ensure that children are provided with basic items such as bedding, towels, personal hygiene products and kitchen equipment, where a child does not have access to such items;
   6. provide children with a written agreement, in an accessible format, which outlines their rights, the terms and conditions of the supported accommodation, and how they can raise concerns about the provision of supported accommodation;
   7. ensure that the supported accommodation undertaking has adequate levels of insurance to cover all aspects of the provision of supported accommodation.

The Support Standard

1. The support standard is that children receive individual and tailored support that meets their needs;
2. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to:
   1. ensure that children are encouraged and enabled to take a lead role in determining the support they receive and to participate in and influence how the supported accommodation operates;
   2. ensure that plans for support are based on initial referral information, are meaningful and are created in full consultation with the child, taking account of relevant plans for the child;
   3. keep the child's support under review, taking into consideration the plans for support, and relevant plans, to ensure that the child's needs continue to be met and that the child is kept safe;
   4. co-operate with the child's accommodating authority in agreeing the child's placement plan or, as the case may be, pathway plan;
   5. comply with requests by the child's accommodating authority to provide:
      1. the accommodating authority with information relating to the child;
      2. a suitable representative to attend any meeting the accommodating authority may hold about the child.
   6. engage and work with the accommodating authority if the registered person has concerns or if the child's support needs to be changed, including where that change may mean that the child requires more intensive support;
   7. ensure that processes are in place to enable children to access support from other organisations and community services, such that they are encouraged and enabled to access a range of services, including those offered by advocacy organisations and training providers;
   8. in the event that the registered person or a member of staff considers that an accommodating authority or a relevant person is failing to provide the support set out in a child's relevant plans, make representations, or, as the case may be, enable staff to make representations, to the accommodating authority or relevant person with a view to ensuring that the child's needs are met;
   9. ensure that staff seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations that the registered person considers appropriate, having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended the supported accommodation undertaking is to provide support and accommodation;
   10. before a child arrives or upon a child's arrival, ensure that the child is given a written guide, in an accessible format, containing information about:
       1. the support and accommodation provided by the supported accommodation undertaking;
       2. what advocacy support or services are available, how the child may access that support or those services, and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy;
       3. how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the support and accommodation provided and how any such complaint will be dealt with;
       4. what services and facilities are available that take account of children's needs arising as a result of cultural differences or disability; and which the registered person must keep under review, seeking children's comments before revising the written guide.
   11. ensure a plan for support is in place to support the child to develop the resilience and skills required to transition out of supported accommodation when the child is ready to live more independently;
   12. ensure that an adequate level of support is available to the child to assist with the transition out of supported accommodation;
   13. ensure that children are supported to access education, training or employment;
   14. ensure that children are supported to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect.

6. Roles and Responsibilities Table

Click here to view the Roles and Responsibilities Table.