Placement Referral Management for Children’s Homes

Confident Referral Tracking, Risk Assessment and Decision Making

Support Sue. Support When Placement Decisions Matter Most

Placement referrals are some of the most complex and high-pressure decisions made in children’s residential care.

They rarely arrive neatly packaged. Information can be incomplete, timelines are often tight, and decisions carry real consequences for children, staff teams and homes. At the same time, those decisions must stand up to future scrutiny from placing authorities, inspectors and commissioners.

Support Sue, part of Sue V2 from Sue Solutions, is designed to support children’s homes at exactly this point. The moment when judgement, evidence and care must come together. Support Sue helps homes record, review and track placement referrals, complete initial and matching risk assessments, and clearly log decision making in a way that is practical in the moment and defensible later.

This is not about rushing decisions. It is about supporting safer, more confident ones.

Why placement referral management needs better support

In many children’s homes, referral management is still fragmented. Emails, spreadsheets, handwritten notes and disconnected systems are often used to capture vital information. As referrals progress, details can become scattered across multiple places, making it harder to maintain a clear overview of risk, suitability and rationale. This increases pressure on managers and teams and makes it more difficult to evidence good decision making after the event.



Support Sue was developed to reflect how referrals actually happen in practice. One referral at a time. Managed carefully, with clarity, structure and oversight.

Centralised referral tracking in one clear system

Support Sue provides a single, structured place to record and track every placement referral from the moment it is received. Referral details can be logged as information arrives and updated as circumstances change. Progress is visible immediately, without the need to search through inboxes or duplicate records across systems.

At any stage, it is clear:

• What information has been received
• What information is still outstanding
• Who is involved in reviewing the referral
• What stage the referral is at

This clarity supports better communication within teams and reduces the risk of important details being overlooked.

Initial risk assessments that support professional judgement

Initial risk assessments are often completed under significant time pressure. Support Sue introduces structure without removing professional autonomy. The system guides users through key considerations, helping ensure that important areas are explored and recorded clearly. These include:

• Known risks and vulnerabilities
• Behavioural, emotional and trauma-related needs
• Health and medication considerations
• Environmental suitability

Rather than a tick-box approach, Support Sue provides a framework that supports thoughtful, proportionate assessment. Records are consistent, easy to review and written in a way that makes sense both at the time and months later.

Matching risk assessments that consider the whole home

Placement decisions cannot be made in isolation. Matching risk assessments are essential to understanding how a potential placement will impact the wider home environment, including other children and staff teams.

Support Sue supports meaningful matching assessments by bringing together:

• Existing group dynamics
• Staffing experience, skills and capacity
• Environmental and physical considerations
• Identified risks and protective factors

This approach supports balanced decisions that consider the needs of the individual child alongside the stability and safety of the home as a whole. Decisions to decline placements are recorded with the same level of care and clarity as decisions to accept, supporting transparency and accountability.

Clear and auditable decision making

One of the most challenging aspects of referral management is knowing that decisions may be reviewed long after they were made. Support Sue supports clear, auditable decision making by recording:

• What information was available at the time
• Who was involved in the decision
• What risks were identified and considered
• The rationale for accepting or declining a placement

This creates a time-stamped audit trail that reflects professional judgement at the point the decision was made, rather than being shaped by hindsight. Clear decision records protect homes, managers and staff while also demonstrating good practice.

Review, reflect and update without duplication

Referrals often evolve as new information becomes available. Support Sue allows assessments and decisions to be reviewed and updated without starting again from scratch. Changes are clearly tracked, supporting reflective practice and ongoing oversight.

This makes it easier to:

• Respond to additional information from placing authorities
• Review decisions as circumstances change
• Provide clear evidence during internal audits or inspections

The result is a coherent record that shows how decisions developed over time.

Designed for managers, supportive for teams

Support Sue supports multiple roles within children’s homes. Managers benefit from oversight, consistency and confidence that referral processes are being followed and recorded properly. Teams benefit from guidance, structure and reassurance that nothing critical is being missed. Working from a shared system reduces miscommunication and supports stronger professional discussion around placement decisions.

Fully integrated within Sue V2

Support Sue is not a standalone tool or bolt-on feature. It is fully embedded within Sue V2. Referral records, risk assessments and decision logs connect seamlessly with wider care records. Information flows naturally, without duplication or repeated data entry. This integration reflects the reality of care work and reduces administrative burden.

Confidence When It Counts

Placement decisions are some of the most demanding moments in residential care. The pressure is real, the responsibility is heavy, and the impact lasts long after the referral email is closed. Support Sue exists to bring calm, clarity and confidence to those moments.

By giving children’s homes, a clear way to track referrals, complete meaningful risk assessments and record decision making properly, Support Sue reduces uncertainty and strengthens professional judgement. Nothing is rushed. Nothing is lost. And nothing is left to memory.

This is more than online recording system for managing referrals. It is quiet support in the background, helping teams feel confident in the decisions they make, managers feel assured in the processes they oversee, and leaders feel secure knowing the right safeguards are in place.

Built by people who understand residential care, Support Sue removes unnecessary complexity so focus can stay where it belongs, on creating safe, stable homes and making the right decisions for every child.

If you want to see how Support Sue can support stronger placement decisions in your service, book a free demo and explore what referral management looks like when it truly supports your team.

Questions Children's Residential Homes Managers Actually Ask

What is Support Sue?

Support Sue is a feature within Sue V2 that supports children’s homes to record, review and track placement referrals, complete initial and matching risk assessments, and clearly evidence decision making.

Does Support Sue replace professional judgement?

No. Support Sue provides structure and guidance, but all placement decisions remain with the professionals responsible for the home and the children in their care.

Can declined placement referrals be recorded?

Yes. Support Sue allows homes to record decisions to decline placements, including the reasoning behind those decisions, supporting transparency and accountability.

Is Support Sue suitable for Ofsted inspections?

Support Sue supports clear, auditable records that demonstrate thoughtful risk assessment and decision making. While inspections always involve scrutiny, the system helps evidence good practice clearly.

Can multiple people review a referral?

Yes. Support Sue supports collaborative review, allowing managers and relevant team members to contribute to and oversee referral decisions.

Is Support Sue included in Sue V2?

Yes. Support Sue is a core part of Sue V2 and integrates fully with the wider system.

Need help ensuring your residential care software supports compliant, child focused practice?  Book a demo to find out how we support residential children's homes with clear, auditable records and robust oversight that puts children first.