Children’s strategic commissioning manage a wide range of commissioned services for Lincolnshire County Council children’s services, as well as the brokerage function for all independent placements.
Independent placements
We have a number of resources to support providers understand Lincolnshire’s requirements for independent placements:
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Lincolnshire children in care sufficiency strategy 2023 to 2027
The sufficiency strategy sets out our achievements and future priorities around placement sufficiency and is supported by an annual action plan update
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Lincolnshire children’s services independent placements market position statement
The market position statement is updated annually to provide independent placement providers with a snapshot of the current position including types of referrals, changes in cohort, changes in need and the types of placements we think we are going to need in the coming year.
Children’s strategic commissioning manage referrals to independent children’s placement providers, who are essential to provide high-quality accommodation, care and support to Lincolnshire children in care and care leavers.
The Open Select Lists (OSL) for independent placements re-open annually on ProContract for new providers to apply; the OSL has 7 placement strands with 2 more due to be added in 2024:
- Foster agencies or care.
- Residential children’s homes.
- Independent non-maintained (Special) Schools (INMS).
- Supported accommodation for 16 to 17 year olds.
- CWD short breaks.
- Alternative provision to support interim home tuition.
- Domiciliary care.
- Regulated alternative provision (new to 2024).
- Online education alternative provision (new to 2024).
To support independent placement providers and ensure transparency, the terms and conditions and service specifications for all placement strands are available as example PDFs; this will ensure independent placement providers have clarity about the contractual terms and the level of service we wish Lincolnshire children in care and care leavers to experience.
Note that terms and conditions are subject to annual review and the latest version may not be the one published.
