South West RI Network
Next RI Network Meeting Dates are:
17th March 2026, 10am-4pm
18th June 2026, 10am-4pm
15th September 2026, 10am-4pm
3rd December 2026, 10am-4pm
Venue: The Devon Hotel, Old Matford Lane, Exeter, EX2 8XU
Our quarterly face-to-face network meetings have resumed and we are also continuing to run weekly support meetings every Wednesday morning at 10am for responsible individuals in the South West area, with commissioners joining on a bi-weekly basis. If you would like to join these, please email your request to admin@dialogueltd.co.uk
The RI Network events are open to responsible individuals based in the South West and are a great opportunity to share ideas, seek support and improve practice. We develop the agenda with members and share ahead of each event. Typically there is a strategic focus, with reflection on the role of the Responsible Individual and the joys of managing Registered Managers.
10:00 – Sector Updates – Chris Freestone
10:45 – The Story So Far: Commissioning Children’s Homes and What Comes Next – Marie Tucker
An overview of how the commissioning of children’s homes has evolved, followed by a practical discussion on fair pricing and collaborative, risk-sharing contract arrangements between providers and local authorities.
Marie has over 25 years’ experience across commissioning and operational roles, including helping to establish the first children’s homes frameworks in the South West. Now working independently to support providers and local authorities to partner effectively so children in care can access the right services to meet their needs.
12:00 – Lunch break
13:00 – ‘Who needs residential care?’ – Charlotte Knapp, Senior Policy Advisor, DfE
An exploration to shape the purpose of future children’s home provision, with Charlotte Knapp, Senior Policy Advisor at the DfE
14:30 – Coffee Break
15:00 – Creating more effective RI/Commissioner discussions – John Woodhouse
16:00 – Close
Check back soon for resources…
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Archive:
Agenda:
10:00 – Introductions – John Woodhouse and Chris Freestone
10:15 – Sector Update – Chris Freestone
11:00 – Research on profits in SMEs – Andrew Rome
12:00 – A new approach to welcome a child – Tom Fradley, Our Home Only
We’ll be joined by Tom from Our Home Only, who will be sharing his new approach and innovative and interactive resources to welcome young people into your homes, with opportunities to contribute feedback and drive improvements.
12:30 – Lunch break
13:30 – Updates from Ofsted – Polly Soper and Paula Lahey
Polly and Paula will be joining us to review comment themes/trends from recent inspections in the South West, along with offering an opportunity for some member Q&A.
14:30 – Coffee Break
14:45 – Responding to the recommendations of the RM vacancy study – John Woodhouse
Planning and development workshop
16:00 – Close
Sector Updates – December 2025
Agenda for 19th June:
10:00 – Introductions – John Woodhouse and Chris Freestone
10:15 – Sector Update – Chris Freestone
11:00 – Coffee Break
11:15 – RM Handbook and RI Standards for review – Chris Freestone
We’ll be reviewing these documents to refresh and update for 2025
Commissioners invited to join us from 12pm
12:00 – RM Vacancy Survey and Research project – John Woodhouse.
We have had well over 300 responses to this – you, your managers and deputies have until 23rd May to respond at www.dialogueltd.co.uk/research John will give headline feedback and look for your input into the next steps.
13:00 – Lunch break
13:45 – Regional Market Position Statement – John Wilkinson
John Wilkinson is a Visiting Research Fellow from the Institute of Public Care (IPC) at Oxford Brookes University. He is a qualified social worker who has worked in local authorities for the past 30 years. IPC have been commissioned by the SW Sufficiency Project to update the Market Positioning Statement and John will be exploring some of the learning to date and gathering the views of commissioners and RIs.
1500 – ** Working Coffee Break**
15:00 – Segmentation – Vikki Hearn & Julie Breeze
What information do commissioners and providers need to properly shape provision for our young people in the South West?
16:00 – Close
Resources from 19th June:
South West RI Standards v8. FINAL– following the briefing at the event, please send any comments or feedback to Chris Freestone by 1st August 2025.
SW Market Position Statement with John Wilkinson – RI Network – 19.06.25
Segmentation presentation for RIs – Devon and Somerset approaches
Agenda for 10th December 2024:
10:00 – Introductions – John Woodhouse and Chris Freestone
10:15 – Sector Update – Chris Freestone
11:15 – Coffee Break
11:30 – Partnership working – Chris Freestone
How is your organisation set to manage the demands of children’s residential care, inspection and safeguarding. Chris Freestone takes us through some elements of challenge and stress organisations have faced to keep young people’s progress at the core of what we do.
13:00 – Lunch break
All South West Commissioners are invited to join us from 1pm
13:45 – Commissioner/RI Joint Work – John Woodhouse and Chris Freestone with South West Commissioners
15:45 – Plenary
16:00 – Close
AGENDA 25th June 2024:
10:00 – Introductions – John Woodhouse and Chris Freestone
10:15 – Sector Update – Chris Freestone
11:15 – Coffee Break
11:30 – ‘Creative ways of working…..’ – Gail Collins and Andy Simms
Following on from our weekly meetings this is the opportunity to review models , practice and ideas/ thoughts which can then contribute to the discussions around SW sufficiency after lunch with commissioners.
13:00 – Lunch break (with Commissioners joining)
13:45 – South West Sufficiency – John Woodhouse and Chris Freestone with South West Commissioners
We’re aiming to do some work to bring together RIs from local providers and South West Commissioners to create a stronger and open understanding of the issues surrounding sufficiency in the South West and plan a way forward together. The aim is for us to see provision of effective and affordable residential care of young people as a joint endeavour.
15:45 – Plenary
16:00 – Close
Agenda:
10:00 – Introductions – John Woodhouse and Chris Freestone
10:15 – Sector Update – Chris Freestone
10:45 – ‘Outstanding leaders / Outstanding homes’ – Chris Freestone
Challenges from an RI perspective, with peer reflection and discussion
12:15 – Reviewing the RI Standards – Chris Freestone
Please download a copy of the current RI standards using the button below, so we can review and discuss for 2023 revisions.
13:00 – Lunch break
14:00 – Recruiting Residential Staff – Andy Simms, Nick Scribbins and John Woodhouse
Recruiting staff in residential care is high cost, high risk activity with limited success for many. We’ll explore successful strategies together and consider how we might work regionally to bring more staff into the sector in a more cost and time effective way, building on the discussion in the RI coordination meeting on 25th October 2023.
15:45 – Plenary
16:00 – Close
South West RI Standards final v6 – 4th December 2023
Outstanding leader equals outstanding home or does it – 4.12.23
From Christine’s presentations
From John’s presentation
Presentation
From Maryann’s presentation
Presentation
From Independence to Interdependence – article
If you’d like to book Maryann to come and speak to your team or organisation, please contact us.