How we govern 16+ supported accommodation
Defined controls, clear incident timelines and live evidence through TIFA Connect.
Our regulatory position
TIFA Life is not a CIW-registered children's home or care service. We accept placements only where needs can be safely met within our supported accommodation model.
We assess every referral against that boundary and decline where the young person requires a different service model. Our safeguarding, staffing, property and reporting controls are documented and available for commissioner assurance.
Four checks before a placement starts
Every placement is governed by four operational controls. All four must be clear before a placement proceeds. If any gate shows a concern, we pause. We do not override controls for speed or capacity.
No placement proceeds unless safeguarding checks, training and Designated Safeguarding Lead capacity are confirmed.
Staffing levels, cover arrangements and handover completion verified before acceptance.
Compliance inspections, safety checks and readiness sign-off completed before the young person arrives.
On-call cover, leadership capacity, payroll resilience and contingency arrangements checked before growth or mobilisation.
Incident reporting timescales
A safeguarding concern is escalated immediately. Serious incidents are recorded within two hours and notified to the allocated Local Authority worker the same day; all other incidents are recorded within 24 hours.
Serious incidents
Logged within 2 hours. Notified to the Local Authority allocated worker the same day.
All other incidents
Logged within 24 hours. Notified to the allocated worker on the agreed reporting cadence.
Post-incident review
Completed within 72 hours and signed off by a named senior manager who was not involved in the incident.
Pattern review
Incident themes and repeat concerns are reviewed quarterly by senior leadership, with actions assigned and recorded.
Safeguarding escalation chain
No staff member manages a safeguarding concern alone. Every concern is logged, escalated and reviewed within defined timeframes, and the chain does not depend on any individual.
Staff recruitment, training and checks
Enhanced DBS
Enhanced DBS returned and confirmed before any unsupervised shift. Rolling DBS updates maintained.
Right to work verified
Documented at induction, kept current through the life of employment.
Induction before unsupervised practice
Structured induction including safeguarding, trauma-informed practice, first aid and medication handling where relevant. Paid shadow shifts with a competent senior worker before independent shifts.
Supervision every 6 weeks
Reflective supervision led by the Service Manager, documented and action-tracked. Probation review at 3 months and 6 months.
Reference chain
Two references taken up, recorded, confirmed before any unsupervised work. No exceptions.
Ongoing training
Safeguarding, trauma-informed practice, de-escalation, modern slavery awareness and cultural competence, refreshed on a defined cycle, not one-and-done.
Property checks and records
Pre-occupation checklist
Every property passes a pre-occupation checklist before any young person arrives: safety, furnishing, cleanliness, welcome pack, communal space functionality. Signed off by the Service Manager.
Health & safety inspection
Annual H&S inspection by a qualified assessor. Gas safety, electrical safety, fire risk assessment, legionella, asbestos where relevant. Certificates held centrally and available on request.
Annual compliance audit
Full compliance audit against our internal standards (property, staffing, documentation, incident records) carried out annually by senior leadership independent of the Service Manager.
Responsive maintenance
We aim to complete urgent repairs (heating, hot water, safety) the same day and non-urgent repairs within 72 hours. Tracked centrally, reported to young people.
What TIFA Connect records
Mandatory work, exceptions and actions are assigned to named owners and tracked to completion in the operational system of record.
Daily logs
Completion, management read-and-action, gaps and follow-up.
Safeguarding
Incidents, missing episodes, escalation, notifications and review.
Staffing
Rota versus plan, attendance, worker passport and cover exceptions.
Reporting
Weekly and monthly reports, SLA status, actions and audit trail.
Request our due diligence pack
The pack includes our safeguarding framework, relevant policies, sample records, training evidence and insurance certificates for procurement or contract assurance.
Request the packSent within 2 working days to your official email address.
The company details a procurement team usually checks first, the registered number, the ICO registration and the operating model, are on about TIFA Life.
Make a referral
A senior lead will respond in writing within 24 hours and confirm a suitability decision within one working day, with same-day capability for emergencies.