Making a Referral

Important — Pre-Registration Notice

Nodera Children's Home is currently in the process of completing registration with Ofsted. We are not yet registered to accommodate young people, and we cannot accept placements until our registration is confirmed and approved by Ofsted.

We anticipate completing our registration in due course and will update this page when we are open to referrals. In the meantime, we welcome enquiries from commissioners and placing authorities who wish to register their interest for future placements.

About Our Provision

Nodera Children's Home offers specialist therapeutic residential care for up to four young people aged 10 to 17, with a particular focus on older teenagers presenting with complex and multiple needs. Our provision has been developed in direct response to Hampshire County Council's commissioning priorities, and we are registering to accommodate young people presenting with:

- Emotional or behavioural difficulties, including entrenched emotional dysregulation and difficulty forming trusting relationships with adults
- Mental disorders, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and complex trauma presentations, in close partnership with CAMHS
- Learning disabilities and associated additional needs, including those with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
- Physical disabilities that can be safely supported within our adapted environment
- Drug and alcohol problems, including vulnerability to criminal exploitation
- Sensory impairment, supported through adapted communication and staff training
- Deprivation of Liberty (DoL) orders made by the Court of Protection or under the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court — our physical environment, staffing, and governance are specifically designed to support DoL placements

We do not accept placements where a child's needs or risks fall outside our staff team's competence, where the placement would present an unmanaged risk to the child or to other children in the home, or where a child requires acute inpatient psychiatric, forensic, or secure medical provision. Complexity of need is not, in itself, a reason for non-acceptance — Nodera is designed for some of Hampshire's most complex young people, and every referral is assessed individually. Our home is located in Fareham, Hampshire, with good transport links across the south of England.

The Referral Process

Once we are registered and open to referrals, the process will work as follows:

1. Initial Enquiry — contact us by phone or email with a brief outline of the young person's needs and placement history.
2. Information Sharing — we will request a summary of the young person's care history, EHC plan (if applicable), most recent risk assessment, and any specialist reports.
3. Matching Assessment — our Registered Manager will review the information and assess whether Nodera is a suitable match for the young person and our existing group.
4. Pre-Placement Meeting — where a potential match is identified, we will arrange a pre-placement meeting with the placing authority, the young person (where appropriate), and any relevant professionals.
5. Placement Agreement — if all parties are in agreement, we will confirm the placement, agree a start date, and complete the necessary placement documentation.

We aim to respond to all referral enquiries within two working days. Emergency placements may also be considered outside normal working hours, subject to an initial telephone risk assessment and a full needs and risk assessment within 24 hours of acceptance.