Understand the child
Referral information should help us understand the child’s history, relationships, strengths, education, health, identity, risks and current care plan — not simply their presenting behaviour.
For local authorities & professionals
A placement should have a purpose.
Phronesis is preparing Bracken Rise House around careful matching, clear planning and shared understanding of what a residential placement is intended to achieve for the child.
Bracken Rise House is being developed in Saltash for up to two children and young people aged 8–18.
Our approach to matching
Right child. Right home. Clear purpose.
Matching should be based on whether the home can genuinely meet the child's needs — not simply whether there is a vacancy.
Future referrals will be considered alongside the needs and risks of any child already living at Bracken Rise, the skills and staffing available, and the wider professional plan around the child.
Consider the match
Any future placement decision will need to consider compatibility, the needs of any child already living in the home, staffing, risk and whether Bracken Rise can genuinely meet the child’s needs.
Agree the purpose
A placement should have a clear purpose and shared expectations around what stability, progress and longer-term planning should look like for the child.
Review and adapt
Plans should remain live. Progress, emerging risks, education, relationships and the child’s own views should continue to shape the care provided.
Placement planning
Keep the whole child in view.
Residential care sits within a much bigger plan. We want the home, placing authority, family network and other professionals to retain a shared understanding of the child and what matters next.
Care planning
Individual plans should align with the placing authority’s care plan and remain understandable and accessible to the child.
Risk & safeguarding
Risk is considered dynamically, through both a safeguarding and trauma-informed lens, with changes reviewed alongside the placing authority.
Education
Education should remain ambitious, flexible and connected to the child’s individual needs, current provision and longer-term aspirations.
Family networks
Safe relationships with family, friends and other important people should remain part of planning rather than becoming disconnected from residential care.
Health & wellbeing
Children should be supported to understand and participate in plans around their physical, emotional and mental health.
Transitions
Planning should keep sight of what comes next — including reunification, independence, supported accommodation or another appropriate future pathway.
Professional partnership
Communication should be direct and useful.
The model is intended to support strong working relationships with social workers, education, health and other professionals around the child.
We want concerns to be discussed openly, changes in risk to be shared promptly and plans to remain connected to what staff are seeing in the child's everyday life.
Outcomes
Stability is important. Progress matters too.
The Statement of Purpose sets an ambition to evidence meaningful outcomes for children rather than measuring success only by the duration of a placement.
Emotional wellbeing
Increased safety, resilience, self-esteem and healthier ways of coping with stress and distress.
Education & aspiration
Re-engagement with learning, interests, community and a stronger sense of possibility for the future.
Relationships
Maintaining or repairing safe relationships with family, friends and other important people.
Longer-term direction
Clear planning towards reunification, transition, independence or another appropriate future pathway.
Current status
Residential referrals for Bracken Rise will open later.
Bracken Rise House is progressing toward registration as Phronesis Care SW Ltd's first children's home. It is not yet operating as a children's home and an Ofsted registration application has not yet been made.
Registration will be sought before opening. Residential referral and commissioning routes will be published when appropriate. Wider children's services and bespoke commissioned support are available now through Nurtura Connect Ltd.
Related information