Manchester Directory of Alternative Providers

Following the publication of the DFE White Paper ‘Back on Track - A strategy for modernising alternative provision for young people’ May 2008 (www.teachernet.gov.uk/_doc/13953/Back%20on%20track.pdf), the Local Authority must make arrangements to quality assure local alternative provision and make the information available to schools and services.

As part of this strategy DFE requested 14 - 19 providers to register with them (http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/alternativeprovision/database). It is also charging Local Authorities to quality assure their local alternative provider provision and make the information available to schools and services.

DFE has issued guidelines for schools and LAs to use when commissioning any alternative provision.  This replaces the document 'Commissioning, Monitoring and Quality Assuring Alternative Provision'.

Each Local Authority is required to:

• quality assure local alternative provision
• make the information available to schools and services. 

In response to these DFE directions Manchester is building a provider directory for providers  involved in the full time and part time education programmes of young people aged 14-19.

The Manchester Directory of Alternative Providers is:

• a separate application process from the OFSTED Registration as an independent
• available for Manchester Children’s’ Services to check all documentation listed in the application form.

This application process offers 14 - 19 providers the opportunity to gather together evidence and demonstrate their readiness and commitment to the delivery of supporting the education of young people across Manchester and develop good practice. The documentation is deigned to support providers and ensure that each organisation has the necessary documentation, training and procedures in place.

The Manchester Directory of Alternative Providers has been complied over the last academic year (September 2009 - July 2010). Providers that appear in the directory have given information and examples of their business arrangements, policies, practices, learning opportunities and expected outcomes. This process has provided the local authority with an indication of the quality of what might be provided.

However, at the point at which a school chooses to engage one of these providers for a young person it is their responsibility to make their own checks and decisions about the quality and safety of the current practices in place in each organisation.

The Local authority has provided a handbook for use by schools and providers which gives more detail and guidance about the checks and arrangements which should be in place before agreeing a placement for a young person.

Providers listed in this directory

• have gone through the application process and meet certain standards of good practice
• own a portfolio of evidence to share with schools and  services
• are prepared to work in collaboration with schools and services within a citywide agreed quality framework

The list of providers will be circulated to schools and services across the city.