You have submitted a referral. What happens next should not be a mystery. Good providers run a structured, consistent process behind every referral — fast when speed is needed, rigorous regardless. Here is what the process looks like at TIFA Life, and what commissioners should expect from any credible provider.
Step 1: Acknowledgement (within 2 hours)
A referral received should be acknowledged within two hours. Not "we'll be in touch". An acknowledgement that the referral has been received, is being assessed, and will receive a full response within a defined window. The acknowledgement names the senior person who owns the assessment.
Silence after submission is not neutral — it is a signal. If a provider cannot acknowledge within a few hours, they will not be able to respond within a day, and the placement is likely to suffer similar delays downstream.
Step 2: Initial screening — can we safely deliver this?
Before commercial or capacity questions, a proper screening asks: does this referral fall within our capability? What are the presenting risks? Do we have staff trained appropriately? Are the current residents in the property a safe fit for this young person? If the answer to any of these questions is uncertain, screening continues. If the answer is clearly no, the provider should decline — fast and in writing.
Step 3: Risk assessment — Operations Lead sign-off
Risk assessment happens before any offer. It is not a formality and it is not delegated to the commercial team alone. Operations Lead sign-off is required — because the operational consequences of accepting a placement sit with operations, and the authority to decline has to sit with the same function.
The risk assessment is documented. If the placement breaks down three months later, the assessment is revisited — was the risk understood, were the controls sufficient, what changed?
Step 4: Capacity and property match
Is there a suitable bed? "Suitable" is more than empty. It means the right property type, the right location for the young person's needs, the right existing peer group, and the right staffing ratio to cover the presenting risk. If the suitable bed is not currently available, the provider should say so — not accept and hope to rearrange later.
Step 5: Offer or decline — honest, in writing
The outcome is communicated in writing. If we can take the placement, the offer includes the property, the named keyworker, the staffing plan, the reporting cadence and the start date. If we cannot, the decline names the reason and — where possible — suggests an alternative the commissioner could explore.
Both outcomes arrive within 24 hours of receipt for standard referrals. Same day for emergencies. No exceptions.
Step 6: Pre-placement preparation
Once offer is accepted, the placement is prepared before the young person arrives. Property readiness confirmed. Staff briefed. Welcome documentation prepared. Risk plan shared with the on-shift team. Safeguarding escalation route shared with the allocated worker. Starter provisions in place — culturally appropriate where relevant.
A young person arriving to a placement that is not ready has a worse start than they need to have. Preparation is not optional, and it is not compressible under time pressure — at minimum, the essentials must be in place before arrival.
Step 7: Placement commencement
Keyworker assigned. Reporting cadence live. First report scheduled for week one rather than month one. The named senior contact is active. The safeguarding escalation route is tested (the allocated worker has the numbers, and the shift team has the allocated worker's).
What a bad referral process looks like
- Slow acknowledgement — hours become days.
- Vague offers — a verbal yes without property, staffing or start date.
- Accepted without proper risk assessment — "we will sort it out".
- No named senior contact at offer stage.
- Safeguarding escalation not shared before arrival.
- First report weeks after placement start, not days.
TIFA Life's process
Every step above is a documented part of our referral process. Acknowledgement within 2 hours. Operations Lead sign-off before any offer. Written confirmation within 24 hours for standard referrals, same day for emergencies. Named senior contact from offer stage. Safeguarding escalation shared on day one of the placement.
To submit a referral, use the form at referrals. For commissioner-facing information on our response times, reporting templates and due diligence, see for Local Authorities. Full service offer at services.