Service types explained

An adult placement service places up to 3 adults with an individual, who provides accommodation and care and support to the adult(s) at the individual’s own home.

A care home service provides accommodation, together with nursing or care, to an individual(s) because of their vulnerability or need.

They may provide one or more of the following services:

• Care home for adults with nursing
• Care home for adults with personal care
• Care home for children with nursing
• Care home for children with personal care
• Provision for learning disability
• Provision for mental health

Child minder 

A person registered to provide care in their own home for a specified number of children under 12 years old.

Crèche

Provides occasional day care for children under 12 years old.

Full day care  

Provides day care for children under 12  years old for four hours or more in a day, outside of domestic premises. Examples include day nurseries, children’s centre , some family centres and wrap around care.

Out of school care

Provides care for children from age 3 years or older for more than 2 hours a day. Examples include break fast clubs, after school clubs, holiday play schemes and summer camps.

Sessional day care

Provides day care for children under 12  for four hours a day outside of domestic premises. Usually the service is use d by children aged 3-5 years rather than babies or toddlers, although some may admit 2 year olds.

Open access play provision

Allows children to play, learn, develop and mix with other children in a safe environment without parental supervision. Examples include soft play centres or play schemes.

Adoption services

An agency that assesses, prepares and approves potential adopters who want to provide children with a stable life.

Fostering services

This service provides a range of placements for children and young people aged 0-18 years who are unable to live with their birth family and who are 'looked after' by local authorities. They are operated by local authorities and independent fostering agencies.

Residential family centres

Centres where parents undergo a residential assessment of their ability to care safely for their children. Usually arranged by the local authority or at the direction of the courts.

Boarding schools

Boarding schools provide education and accommodation for school age children during term time. Children may attend each day, but others live on the premises during term time and are cared for out side of school hours, including weekends by boarding school staff.

Further education colleges

Further education colleges can provide accommodation for students to live on site whilst they are studying.  They are registered with us if accommodation is provided for students who are under the age of 18 years.

Residential special school

Residential Special Schools offer residential placements for pupils with moderate learning difficulties and behavioural problems. Pupils may have been   excluded from, or have difficulty attending mainstream school and may be subject to a Statement of Special Educational Need.

A secure place for young people aged 12-17 years placed through the Courts, due to offending behaviour or because they pose a significant risk to themselves or others in the community.

The provision (or making arrangements for the provision) of care and support to people who are unable to provide it for themselves because of their vulnerability or need and is provided to the person where they live.

Supported living

Supported living accommodation is often shared, but can be a single household where care and support is provided to people as part of the support that they need to live in their own homes. The personal care is provided by a domiciliary support service, under separate contractual arrangements to those for the person’s housing.