Resources designed to support local authorities in their quality assurance processes when working with supported accommodation providers.
This toolkit was developed to support local authorities in undertaking quality assurance processes with supported accommodation providers.
To develop these resources, representatives from commissioning teams across a range of local authorities were invited to share their current quality assurance processes and tools with the National Children’s Bureau for analysis. These local authorities were then invited to participate in a workshop to reflect on what quality assurance processes should look like and how best to align these with the new regulatory requirements and across local authorities.
Disclaimer: This resource has been prepared and produced by the National Children’s Bureau, the provider of the Department for Education (DfE) funded Sector Awareness and Provider Preparedness programme. The National Children’s Bureau has produced this toolkit independently of Ofsted, based on information and feedback provided by local authorities and providers of supported accommodation. It is not intended to supplement or replace the Ofsted inspection framework for supported accommodation, but can be used to support usual local authority quality assurance processes. It is highly recommended that you refer to up-to-date and official guidance about the regulation of supported accommodation.
Quality Assurance Tool
This tool has been designed to support local authorities working with supported accommodation providers to undertake effective quality assurance processes which are aligned across local authorities, and with the new regulations and Quality Standards.
It can be used by all those involved in commissioning or quality assurance processes for supported accommodation provision to reference and align their processes.
Each section of the tool outlines the criteria for quality assurance, how these could be assessed, and examples of supporting evidence. Local authorities may wish to adapt this tool to individual commissioning circumstances and the needs of their young people.
Quality Assurance Process Map
This resource offers an overview of the individual processes that local authorities may wish to undertake as part of their quality assurance processes when working with supported accommodation providers.
Quality Assurance Timeline
This resource illustrates the wider quality assurance processes that may take place within the first year that a looked after child is placed in a supported accommodation setting.
This includes local authority quality assurance, statutory responsibilities on behalf of local authorities towards looked-after children, Ofsted-led regulation and inspection and provider-led quality assurance such as the Quality of Support review.