National framework contracts

It is more than a decade since the national framework contracts for independent fostering placements, children's residential placements and placements in special schools were first implemented. These contracts - endorsed by national sector organisations, children's services leaders and the then Department for Children, Schools and Families - provided a set of over-arching terms and conditions for out-of-home placements, as well as offering templates for various contract schedules including service specifications and individual placement agreements.

Although developed to facilitate greater standardisation of placement contracting and amended in the intervening period, these contracts have not been universally adopted. Most local authorities and consortia use a version of the documents that is heavily adapted to meet local needs, where indeed placements are governed by any contract at all. This means that nationally, placements commissioning is still heavily fragmented and the relationship between providers and commissioners can be a postcode lottery depending on local practice.