East Midlands IFA Pilot

East Midlands IFA Pilot

East Midlands IFA Pilot

East Midlands Councils (EMC) through the East Midlands Strategic Partnership (EM SMP) is today launching a pilot project in partnership with the Department for Education (DfE), the Nationwide Association of Fostering Providers (NAFP), and the Fairer Fostering Partnership (FFP). 

The aim of this pilot is to decrease the time taken for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) under the age of 16 to transfer from Kent into the care of East Midlands local authorities through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS), to increase the proportion of UASC placed within the region and help establish new relationships between Local Authorities and IFA providers who may not have had the opportunity to work together before. 

This pilot is expected to run for a period of 9 months, where the EM SMP will collect performance data related to the operation of the pilot during this time to inform the development of an evaluation report and to make any changes as required.  

On a day-to-day basis any queries and informal communications regarding the pilot will be dealt with by the NAFP. 

1. What do IFA Providers get out of the pilot?

By participating in this pilot IFA Providers are expected to realise the following benefits: 

  • Form procurement relationships with Local Authorities they may not have worked with in the past. 
  • Guarantee that vacancies will be filled within three working days of becoming available, where the vacancy offer is accepted, and matching process is successfully concluded. 
  • Enable access to the NTS. 
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2. How will the pilot work?

IFA providers when they become aware of an upcoming vacancy suitable for UASC will communicate this to EM SMP, via the following email address RegionalIFAPilot@emcouncils.gov.uk, ideally with at least two weeks' notice of a potential vacancy before the vacancy becomes ready to accept a young person, providing the carer profile information (for local authorities only) and relevant contact details. 

If there are fewer than two weeks between a provider communicating a vacancy offer to the EM SMP and that vacancy being ready to accept a child, EM SMP reserves the right to refuse the vacancy offer. 

EM SMP will engage Local Authorities and notify IFA providers when a Local Authority partner has been chosen to take up the vacancy offer, providing contact details for the Local Authority. 

IFA NTS Pilot Process Map Final.pdf 

 

Spot purchasing terms and conditions for each LA will be made available by the Local Authority where providers do not have an existing relationship, please review the terms and conditions of the relevant Local Authority if your organisation is not already part of a framework arrangement with that authority and indicate to EM SMP and the Local Authority whether you wish to proceed prior to the date at which the vacancy becomes available.  

For providers who are already part of a framework arrangement with the relevant Local Authority the terms and conditions of that framework will apply for the pilot. 

Once the Local Authority has been chosen IFA providers will need to reach out to the Local Authority contact, within 24 hours, to undertake the matching process and work through any issues with procurement. 

When the date at which the vacancy becomes available to take a child is known IFA provider’s will need contact the Local Authority and the EM SMP at the earliest opportunity. If the Local Authority has an outstanding transfer (either the authority would have been selected due to having an outstanding transfer or since being selected may have received an NTS cycle for which they have an outstanding transfer), the Local Authority will enter into a matching process with the IFA provider. 

 

If the Local Authority doesn’t have an outstanding transfer, or the matching process for an outstanding transfer is not successfully concluded, the EM SMP will request a child from the Home Office for transfer to the region and the matching process can be concluded.  

From the point at which IFA providers notify the EM SMP that a vacancy is available to take a child, IFA providers will be required to hold the vacancy for up to three working days to enable the matching process to be concluded and the child to be transferred. 

The Home Office will respond to the EM SMP who will pass on the details of the child to IFA Providers and the Local Authority involved for the matching process to be conducted. Decisions regarding the suitability of a particular child for the placement will need to be made within 24 hours of being referred by the Home Office and ideally within the same working day that a referral is received by the Home Office. 

It should be noted that in the event that a referral is not accepted this builds in a delay for a child and as such decisions should be made as quickly as possible to ensure that delays for children are minimised. 

At the end of the matching process the Local Authority will inform the EM SMP who will liaise with the Home Office to arrange transport for the child from Kent to the carer location to commence the placement. 

Through the pilot a maximum of two vacancies will be utilised per Local Authority area, in the event that a provider offers a vacancy where the carer resides in an area which has already accepted two vacancies, EM SMP will offer the vacancy to the Local Authority concerned outside of the formal pilot, if that authority does not wish to accept the vacancy, then the offer will be refused. 

3. What are we requesting from IFA Providers?

For this pilot to work as envisaged the following will be required from IFA Providers: 

  • Notify EM SMP of a suitable vacancy that you expect is coming up, by emailing RegionalIFAPilot@emcouncils.gov.uk including a completed vacancy form with the email alongside any other information you feel relevant, ideally at least two weeks prior to the carers being ready to take a child. 
  • Provide EM SMP with information regarding the child profile that the carers would find acceptable, indicating clearly whether the carers are prepared to accept age disputed children, using the vacancy form provided. 
  • Provide EM SMP with information about how the vacancy came about and if the vacancy was the result of a previous child leaving the care of that carer, provide information about the profile of the previous child and the local authority with parental responsibility, using the vacancy form provided. 
  • Ensure that only vacancies with carers residing within the East Midlands who currently care for UASC, have previous experience of caring for UASC, or have expressed an interest in caring for UASC and who the IFA believes to be suitable are sent to EM SMP for use within the pilot. 
  • Work with Local Authorities on finalising the matching process and procurement details where required, confirming acceptance to the local authority and EM SMP ahead of the vacancy becoming available where spot purchasing T&C’s are being used. 
  • Where referrals are requested from the Home Office a matching decision will be required within 24 hours and ideally within the same working day as the referral being received. 
  • Confirm to the EM SMP and Local Authority the date on which the placement can commence, at the earliest possible opportunity. 
  • Hold the vacancy for the selected Local Authority for a period of up to three working days, from the point at which the vacancy becomes able to accept a child, free of charge, to enable the matching process and transfer to be completed. 

4. What do authorities get out of the pilot?

  • Reduced pressure during NTS cycles. 
  • The ability to place children proactively outside of the normal NTS cycles. 
  • The ability to place a greater proportion of children within the region.  
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5. What will the children get out of the pilot?

Children will be transferred more quickly out of temporary accommodation into suitable stable placements that help them to settle and achieve better outcomes.

6. What are the next steps?

The pilot is now live. To participate, when you have information that a suitable vacancy is likely to come up soon, with ideally at least two weeks’ notice, get in touch with the EM SMP via RegionalIFAPilot@emcouncils.gov.uk.  

What are the next steps?

IFA Pilot Process Map

Process Map

IFA Pilot Guidance for providers

IFA Guidance

IFA Vacancy Offer Form

Vacancy Offer Form

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