Referrals, Admissions and Ending Placements

1. Purpose

A placement at Care Cove is a short, intensive chance for a young person to re-engage with education and return to school or move on to post-16 learning. This policy makes sure that every placement starts quickly and well, is reviewed regularly, and ends in a planned way with the learner going somewhere better prepared.

2. Scope

This policy applies to every placement at Care Cove AP, whether it is commissioned through a local authority referral panel, directly by a school, or directly by a local authority. It applies to all staff involved in referrals, admissions, reviews and transitions.

3. Law and guidance

• DfE Alternative Provision statutory guidance (2013) and the commissioning local authority's own AP standards.

• Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026, including transfer of child protection files.

• SEND Code of Practice 0 to 25 (2015); Children and Families Act 2014; Equality Act 2010.

• Suspension and Permanent Exclusion (DfE, 2024).

• UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018; our data sharing agreements with commissioning local authorities and referring schools.

4. Roles and responsibilities

5. Referral routes

Local authority referral panel. A school that has identified needs that may be met through AP refers to the local authority's multi-agency panel. If appropriate, the panel refers the child to Care Cove. The local authority refers children who have been permanently excluded. Children placed through the panel remain under the panel's oversight throughout.

The Head of AP attends every referral panel meeting, with the Director deputising, whether or not we hold placements.

Direct commissions. Schools and other local authorities may commission a place directly. The same standards in this policy apply. A written placement agreement sets out the days, start date, payment arrangements, contacts and review dates.

Every referral is logged on Connect the day it arrives. Connect timestamps each stage (received, acknowledged, initial meeting, admitted), and the timescales below are measured from those timestamps.

6. Our admission principle

We admit every child a local authority referral panel refers. We do not refuse a referral. If we have a concern about a placement, for example a known conflict with another learner or a need we think we cannot meet safely, the Director or Head of AP raises it with the commissioning local authority immediately. The local authority takes our view into account but is the decision maker, and we act on its decision. We never decline a referral on financial grounds.

For direct commissions we follow the same principle. We do not decline a young person because of their behaviour, SEND, risk history or any protected characteristic. The only reason we would not offer a place is that none is available within our group size and staffing limits. In that case we tell the commissioner in writing the same day and say when a place is expected.

7. Timescales

Our target is that 100% of learners have contact within one week and start within two weeks of referral. If a timescale cannot be met (for example, the family cannot be reached or asks for a later date), we record the reason on Connect and tell the referring school and the commissioning local authority straight away.

8. The initial meeting and site visit

Before the first day, the allocated key mentor and the Head of AP hold an initial meeting with the learner and their parents or carers, with a visit to 37 Townhead Street. The referring school is invited. Where it helps engagement, the first meeting can take place at home under our home visit protocol.

At the meeting we:

• listen first: the young person's story, interests, worries and hopes;

• explain clearly that this is a short-term placement and not a long-term educational provision, and that the aim from day one is a return to full-time education or a planned move to post-16 learning;

• explain that the placement is part-time (section 9) and confirm where the learner will be on the other days;

• show the building, the regulation space and the therapy rooms, and introduce staff;

• explain the Respect Code, the phone routine and the four Rs, and that we do not exclude;

• agree a Family Tech Plan with the learner and parents;

• explain therapy and the limits of confidentiality;

• give the welcome pack and collect consents and information (section 11).

9. Part-time placements only

Care Cove is not registered with Ofsted as an independent school, so we must not provide full-time education. Every placement is part-time and sits alongside the learner's main education arrangement:

• for placements through a local authority referral panel, 2 or 3 days a week;

• for direct commissions, the days agreed in writing, never full time.

The referring school, or the local authority for a permanently excluded learner, keeps responsibility for the learner's full-time education and arranges the other days. We record on Connect where the learner is expected to be on non-Care Cove days, so that attendance and safeguarding information can be shared.

10. Information needed at referral

We ask the referrer for:

• the learner's details, parents or carers with parental responsibility, contact details and any contact restrictions or court orders;

• the referring school or local authority, a named contact and the arrangement for the other days;

• the reason for referral and what everyone hopes the placement will achieve;

• attendance history, suspensions and any exclusion;

• SEND information: EHCP, SEN support plan, assessments and reports;

• prior attainment and current working levels;

• safeguarding information: child protection or child in need plan, looked-after status, Early Help, the social worker's details and any youth justice involvement;

• known risks: exploitation, serious youth violence, weapons, harmful sexual behaviour, self-harm, substance use, and any known conflicts with other young people;

• health: medical conditions, medication, allergies and dietary needs;

• interests, strengths and aspirations;

• travel: where the learner lives and how they could get to us.

The DSL reviews the safeguarding information before the initial meeting. Missing information does not delay contact or the start date. We chase it with the referrer.

11. Admission checks

Before or on the first day, we complete and record on Connect:

• entry risk assessment, including any need for 1:1 or 2:1 staffing and a positive handling plan (policy 08);

• exploitation screening using our screening tool;

• contextual risk map, covering places, people and routes that present risk, reviewed monthly;

• travel assessment: independent travel, travel training, or transport that Care Cove arranges and pays for where independent travel is not practical;

• known conflicts checked with the panel before the placement is confirmed, with staggered arrival and departure times or timetable separation where needed;

• consents: use of outdoor spaces and off-site learning, photographs, first aid and medication, emergency medical treatment, and information sharing;

• medical and dietary information, including allergens shown on the learner's Connect record and the daily register, and any health care plan reviewed by the Clinical Advisor;

• authorised adults for collection;

• library membership, which we arrange for every learner.

A data sharing agreement must be in place with the commissioning local authority or the referring school before the first admission.

12. The first four weeks

13. Group mix

Groups have six learners or fewer with at least two adults. When placing a new learner in a group, the Head of AP and DSL consider known conflicts, the contextual risk map, age, needs and the existing group. We use staggered arrivals and departures, supervised transitions and timetable separation where needed. Where a combination of placements creates risk we cannot manage, we tell the commissioning local authority at once.

14. Placement reviews

• Child plan reviewed at least monthly, with progress reviewed at the monthly meeting with the commissioning local authority's Access and Inclusion Officers, and formally reviewed at least half-termly.

• Half-termly case review with local authority officers, attended by the Head of AP or the Director. The panel keeps oversight of each child's progress and pathway.

• Referring schools are invited to visit the learner and take part in regular reviews, and we work with them on continuity of learning.

• Measures: Boxall Profile and attainment half-termly; SDQ and Skills Builder termly; learner and parent voice half-termly; school feedback termly and at exit.

• TAF meetings as agreed in the plan.

15. Placement length

The target placement length is a maximum of two terms. It may be longer for a learner who has been permanently excluded. Connect flags any placement approaching or beyond two terms, and the Head of AP raises it at the next case review.

Our targets are that 80% of on-roll learners are back in school full time after two terms, and 25% of permanently excluded learners are reintegrated within three terms. Our outcome aim is that 25% of permanently excluded learners are reintegrated within two terms.

16. Reintegration

Reintegration to full-time education is the primary objective from the first day.

1. Planned from day one. Every Mini-PATHs plan states the planned reintegration outcome and the actions to get there.

2. Readiness reviewed regularly with the commissioning local authority's Access and Inclusion Officers, using our readiness assessment tool, and with the referring school for on-roll learners.

3. Permanently excluded learners. When we and the Access and Inclusion Officers judge a learner ready, the local authority decides on reintegration and identifies a suitable onward placement through its local processes. We work with the local authority on finding the right placement.

4. Written strategy guidance goes to the receiving school before discharge: what works for this learner, what to avoid, their triggers and strengths, their RESET Passport, and a phased return timetable where agreed. It is issued through the Partner portal and the school's acknowledgement is recorded.

5. Reintegration meeting before discharge with the learner, family and receiving school. We encourage senior staff from the school to take part.

6. Six weeks of structured outreach after reintegration, with the learner, family and school, led by the key mentor.

17. Year 11 and post-16 transition

Where a Year 11 learner is unlikely to return to school, we support post-16 progression: careers guidance, visits to post-16 education and training providers, help with applications and interviews, and a planned handover to the destination provider. Every Year 11 leaver has a post-16 plan. Functional Skills and GCSE entries are arranged through our partner exam centre or the referring school.

18. Ending placements

A placement may end because:

• the learner has reintegrated into full-time education;

• a Year 11 learner has completed the year and moved to their post-16 destination;

• the commissioner decides the learner should move to a different provision, such as a specialist placement;

• the family moves out of the area.

Placements never end through exclusion. Care Cove does not exclude, suspend or send learners home (policy 07).

Any proposed ending that Care Cove raises, for whatever reason, happens only after recorded consultation with the referring school and the commissioning local authority. We apply this to every commissioner. The Director leads the consultation, records it on Connect and confirms the outcome in writing. The local authority decides. Connect will not allow a placement to be closed until that consultation is recorded.

Before proposing any ending because of need or risk, we must have used the steps in policy 07 section 14, including the TAF and a request to the commissioning local authority to consider a bespoke programme.

Notice. Where a commissioner decides to end a placement, we follow the notice period agreed with that commissioner, during which the learner keeps attending. A placement is never ended without notice unless the commissioner decides that an immediate move is in the learner's interests.

Unplanned endings. If a learner cannot attend because of custody, hospital admission or a sudden move, we tell the referring school and the commissioning local authority at once and keep the place open until the commissioner decides.

A good ending. Wherever possible, the learner has a planned last day, a chance to say goodbye, and recognition of what they have achieved. Exit measures (Boxall Profile, SDQ, attainment, learner, parent and school voice) are completed, and a discharge record with the destination is made on Connect.

19. Transfer of records

• Discharge summary. Within 10 working days of the end of a placement, we send the referring school or receiving school (or the local authority for a permanently excluded learner) a summary covering attendance, entry and exit measures, progress against the plan, accreditation, the strategies that work and any outstanding actions.

• Child protection files. The DSL transfers any child protection file to the receiving school's DSL securely and separately from the main record, within 5 days for an in-year move or within the first 5 days of a new term, and obtains confirmation of receipt. Where helpful, the DSL also speaks directly to the receiving DSL, as KCSIE 2026 encourages. For an on-roll learner, our safeguarding records are also shared with the referring school's DSL.

• SEND records are passed to the receiving setting and the local authority where relevant.

• Contract end. Commissioning local authorities may expect child and family data to be deleted when a contract ends. Before any deletion, the DSL makes sure all safeguarding records have been properly transferred to the relevant school or local authority. Retention follows policy 17.

20. Destination follow-up

Every leaver's destination is recorded at exit. For post-16 leavers, the key mentor or Administrator contacts the young person (or their provider, with consent) 18 months after leaving to record whether they are in education, employment or training. Our target is 80% in education, employment or training at 18 months.

21. Monitoring and review

• Connect reports referral timescales, plan deadlines, review cadence, placement length and reintegration outcomes live, and these feed the termly KPI report.

• Every term the SWMC audits referral timescales, plan timeliness, any concerns raised about referrals, every proposed or actual placement ending and the consultation record, and referrals and outcomes by ethnicity, sex, SEND and looked-after status.

• This policy is reviewed every year, or sooner after an incident, a change in law or guidance, or a contract change. It is available to the commissioning local authority at any time.

22. Related policies

• 01 Safeguarding and Child Protection
• 07 Behaviour, Rewards and Restorative Practice
• 08 Positive Handling and Physical Intervention
• 11 Attendance and Children Missing Education
• 12 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
• 13 Curriculum, Teaching and Assessment
• 14 Therapeutic Practice and Clinical Governance
• 16 Transport and Escorting
• 17 Data Protection, Retention and Information Sharing
• 18 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• 24 Supporting Medical Needs and Administering Medicines
• 25 Food Safety, Allergens and Nutrition
• 26 Off-site Learning and Educational Visits
• 27 Work Experience and Vocational Placements

Appendix A: Key contacts

Document control and ratification

This policy is signed off by the Designated Safeguarding Lead and the Head of Alternative Provision, and ratified by the Social Work Management Committee. It is reviewed every year, or sooner after an incident or a change in law, statutory guidance or contract requirements, and it is available to any commissioning local authority on request.