While capacity may dominate headlines, the quality of placement matching is often the most critical factor in the success of a residential care episode. At Nwando Care, we believe robust matching and collaborative risk planning significantly reduce the likelihood of breakdown, behavioural escalation, and safeguarding concerns.
When a new referral is received, our service managers conduct a holistic compatibility assessment. This includes reviewing the child’s trauma history, attachment style, behavioural patterns, therapeutic history, and known risk factors. It also means analysing the existing home dynamics — current placements, staff skills, home layout, and location-specific risks.
For example, placing a child with historic criminal exploitation into a semi-rural home with poor transport links might reduce absconding risk. Conversely, matching two children with aggressive outbursts to the same unit may be contraindicated, regardless of their “paper fit”.
We involve all key agencies in placement planning — especially where there are multi-agency safeguarding concerns. For high-risk placements, we often request a pre-admission planning meeting, joint visit, and safety plan review with local authority, CAMHS, and sometimes YOT or police.
Therapeutic care isn’t just a label — it’s a practice. Each child’s plan includes relational anchors, routine structure, sensory regulation options, and emotional check-ins. For children with significant risk profiles, we often implement visual timetables, traffic light behaviour plans, and one-to-one debriefs after incidents.
Safeguarding isn’t only about preventing harm — it’s about creating safe environments to grow. Our homes are staffed above minimum levels and include senior oversight on every shift. All incidents are logged, reviewed within 24 hours, and escalated as needed. Serious incidents trigger immediate management reporting, and we liaise directly with the placing authority.
We provide monthly reporting, full access to daily logs if required, and contribute to all LAC, PEP and EHCP reviews. Outcome data is available on request, and we can support authorities in meeting sufficiency strategy targets through partnership planning.
Above all, we’re honest about what we can and can’t do — because real risk management starts with clarity.
