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Commissioned Placement Terms and Payment Information

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At The Ranch, we work closely with schools, Local Authorities, commissioning bodies, families and professionals to provide safe, supportive and meaningful Alternative Provision for children and young people.

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Each placement is carefully planned around the individual needs of the young person. This includes staffing, safeguarding oversight, risk assessment, site allocation, activity planning, emotional support, transition planning and communication with the wider professional network.

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To provide clarity and consistency for all parties, the following terms apply to commissioned Alternative Provision placements and ongoing provision.

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Commissioned Alternative Provision

 

Alternative Provision placements are commissioned for the period agreed in writing, ordinarily by academic term unless otherwise stated in the individual placement agreement or commissioning documentation.

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Where invoices are issued in four-weekly, monthly or other instalments, this is an administrative payment arrangement for the convenience of The Ranch and the commissioning organisation. It does not divide a termly or fixed-period placement into separate short-term bookings.

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Once a placement has been confirmed, The Ranch reserves the agreed:

• days and hours;

• staffing capacity and ratio;

• site and placement space;

• resources and activity planning;

• safeguarding and managerial oversight; and

• professional liaison and transition support.

Fees are therefore based on the commissioned placement and the capacity reserved for the young person, rather than solely on physical attendance.

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Term Dates, INSET Days and Bank Holidays

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The Ranch ordinarily operates term dates broadly aligned with the relevant Local Authority term-date calendar, subject to The Ranch’s published operating calendar.

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Unless otherwise agreed in writing, commissioned placement fees will not be reduced because the agreed placement period includes:

• an INSET or staff-training day at the commissioning school;

• a bank or public holiday;

• a closure of the commissioning school;

• an examination, transition or activity day;

• transport disruption or cancellation; or

• another day on which the young person or commissioning organisation is unavailable.

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This reflects the fixed cost of reserving and maintaining the agreed staffing, resources and placement capacity throughout the commissioned period. It does not represent a separate charge for service delivery on a day when The Ranch is formally closed.

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Published school holiday periods are not ordinarily charged unless specific holiday provision, year-round provision or an annualised package has been agreed in writing.

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Missed Sessions, Absence and Non-Attendance

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Where a commissioned session has been planned, staffed, reserved and made available for a young person, the agreed charges remain payable if the young person does not attend.

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This includes absence resulting from:

• illness;

• anxiety, emotional dysregulation or refusal to attend;

• emotionally based school avoidance;

• family circumstances;

• appointments or holidays;

• transport difficulties, delays or cancellation;

• exclusion or suspension from another setting;

• school closure or an INSET day;

• a bank holiday included within the commissioned fee; or

• another circumstance outside The Ranch’s reasonable control.

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The commissioning organisation should notify The Ranch of any known absence as soon as reasonably practicable.

Non-attendance does not create an automatic entitlement to a replacement session, refund, credit or extension of the commissioned period.

Rescheduling may be offered at the discretion of a Ranch director, subject to staffing, safeguarding, site capacity and suitability. Rescheduling is not guaranteed.

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Cancellation or Change by The Ranch

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Where The Ranch is unable to provide a commissioned session for a reason within its reasonable control, it will, wherever reasonably practicable:

• provide an appropriate alternative activity;

• offer an alternative staff member, site, date or delivery arrangement; or

• issue an appropriate credit where no reasonable alternative can be provided.

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The Ranch may reasonably adapt an activity, timetable, staff allocation, site or method of delivery where necessary because of safeguarding, health and safety, animal welfare, severe weather, site conditions, staff absence or another operational concern.

Where suitable and reasonably equivalent provision remains available, the change will not be treated as a cancellation.

Where provision is cancelled solely because of a material failure by The Ranch and no suitable alternative is offered, the commissioner will not be charged for the affected provision.

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Changes to a Placement

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Any requested change to a young person’s:

• days or hours;

• site;

• timetable;

• staffing ratio;

• support level;

• commissioned activities;

• transport arrangements; or

• overall commissioned package

must be agreed in writing before taking effect.

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A reduction in days, hours, staffing, funding or reserved capacity will be treated as a significant reduction and will be subject to the applicable notice period.

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The Ranch is not required to implement a requested change until the safeguarding, operational, staffing and financial implications have been agreed in writing.

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Continued delivery while a proposed change is being discussed does not amount to acceptance of that change.

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Enhanced Support and Changes in Need

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The placement is based on the needs and risks disclosed at the time of commissioning.

Where a young person’s needs or risks materially increase, The Ranch may require:

• enhanced staffing;

• 1:1 support;

• a higher staffing ratio;

• a change of site or timetable;

• additional risk-management measures;

• specialist advice or equipment; or

• a temporary pause while the placement is reviewed.

Any permanent increase in staffing or support must be agreed and funded in writing before it is implemented.

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Immediate temporary action may be taken where reasonably necessary to protect the young person, staff, animals or others. The arrangements and associated funding must then be reviewed urgently with the commissioner.

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The Ranch is not required to continue a placement at a staffing level or in circumstances it reasonably considers unsafe, unsuitable or professionally inappropriate.

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Safeguarding and Risk-Led Reviews

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The Ranch may immediately review, adapt, restrict or temporarily pause a placement where reasonably necessary because of:

• a safeguarding concern;

• a serious incident;

• an immediate health and safety risk;

• a material escalation in behaviour, risk or need;

• risk to the young person, staff, animals or others;

• missing, inaccurate or withheld information;

• unsuitable transport or collection arrangements; or

• concerns about the continuing suitability of the placement.

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The Ranch will inform the commissioner as soon as reasonably practicable and request an urgent review.

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Where the pause results from a change in the young person’s needs, a risk outside The Ranch’s reasonable control or a failure by the commissioner to provide necessary information, funding or support, the commissioned fee may remain payable while the placement is reviewed and the reserved staffing and capacity are maintained.

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Wherever possible, The Ranch will work with the commissioner, parent or carer and relevant professionals to agree:

• a safe return plan;

• an enhanced support package;

• a revised site or timetable;

• an appropriate transition; or

• an agreed ending to the placement.

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Ending or Significantly Reducing a Placement

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To support safe, planned and emotionally appropriate transitions, either party must provide a minimum of:

• 20 school days’ written notice to end or significantly reduce a standard placement; or

• 30 school days’ written notice to end or significantly reduce an enhanced, high-ratio, 1:1, complex SEND, EHCP-linked or long-term placement.

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For the purposes of these terms, a significant reduction includes a reduction in:

• days;

• hours;

• staffing ratio;

• support level;

• funding; or

• reserved placement capacity.

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School holidays, INSET days and bank holidays do not count towards the notice period unless otherwise agreed in writing.

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Where notice is received during a published Ranch holiday closure, it will be treated as received on the first Ranch operating day following that closure.

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Fees remain payable throughout the applicable notice period because the agreed staffing, planning, resources and placement capacity remain reserved.

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The commissioner may decide that the young person will not attend during the notice period, but this does not remove the obligation to pay the agreed fees.

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Notice-period fees are the agreed placement fees payable while the commission remains in place. They are not an additional cancellation penalty.

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Where The Ranch permanently reallocates the same reserved capacity during the notice period, it will take reasonable steps to avoid recovering duplicated net fees for the same capacity.

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The Ranch will provide reasonable safeguarding, information-sharing and transition support during the notice period.

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Immediate Pause or Termination

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The Ranch may immediately pause or end a placement where:

• continuing the placement would be unlawful or unsafe;

• there is a serious or unmanageable safeguarding or health and safety risk;

• material information has been deliberately withheld or misrepresented;

• the commissioner requires provision to continue at a staffing level The Ranch reasonably considers unsafe;

• there is serious violence, abuse, intimidation or threatening conduct towards staff, animals or others; or

• undisputed fees remain unpaid after reasonable written notice has been provided.

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Wherever reasonably possible, an immediate pause or termination will be accompanied by proportionate safeguarding communication, professional liaison and transition planning.

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Fees and Invoicing

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Invoices are issued in accordance with the agreed placement, commissioning arrangement or individual Placement Provision Schedule.

Invoices may be issued:

• four-weekly;

• monthly;

• half-termly;

• termly; or

• under another arrangement agreed in writing.

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The frequency of invoicing does not alter the commissioned period, reserved-capacity basis or applicable notice requirements.

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Where the commissioner’s internal procedures require a purchase order, a valid purchase-order number should be supplied before the placement begins.

 

Where an authorised officer instructs The Ranch in writing to begin or continue provision before a purchase order is issued, the commissioner remains responsible for promptly regularising its internal authorisation and payment arrangements.

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Payment Terms

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Payment is due within 30 days of receipt of a correct invoice unless another payment period has been expressly agreed in writing.

Payment should be made by bank transfer using the details shown on the invoice.

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The invoice number, purchase-order number and, where appropriate, the young person’s initials or placement reference should be used as the payment reference.

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If the commissioner disputes any part of an invoice, it must notify The Ranch promptly and identify:

• the invoice number;

• the amount disputed;

• the specific reason and contractual basis for the dispute; and

• any supporting information.

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All undisputed amounts must be paid by the original due date.

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An internal administrative delay, missing internal approval or general request for further information will not, by itself, make an invoice disputed.

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Late and Overdue Payments

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Where a qualifying commercial payment is late, The Ranch reserves the right to claim:

• statutory interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998;

• the applicable fixed compensation amount; and

• any further reasonable debt-recovery costs recoverable by law.

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Statutory interest will run from the relevant contractual or statutory due date until payment is received in full.

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Where an undisputed invoice remains unpaid after its due date, The Ranch may issue a written payment-default notice.

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If payment remains outstanding after reasonable written notice, The Ranch may:

• decline to accept further referrals;

• review or suspend future sessions; or

• terminate the affected placement.

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Before suspending a young person’s placement, The Ranch will take reasonable steps to communicate with the commissioner, consider safeguarding implications and support a proportionate contingency or transition arrangement.

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Suspension or termination does not affect sums already due, statutory late-payment rights or fees payable during an applicable notice period.

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Set-Off and Deductions

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The commissioner must pay sums properly due without set-off, counterclaim, deduction or withholding unless:

• required by law;

• expressly agreed by The Ranch in writing; or

• finally determined by a court or an agreed dispute-resolution process.

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A disputed amount relating to one placement must not be deducted from sums properly due for another placement without The Ranch’s written agreement.

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Agreement and Acceptance

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These terms should be read alongside the individual Placement Provision Schedule, written commissioning agreement and any overarching framework or call-off agreement expressly identified as applying to the placement.

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The applicable terms are the version supplied or identified when the placement is agreed. A later website update will not retrospectively change an existing placement unless expressly agreed in writing.

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A placement will normally be treated as confirmed when an authorised representative of the commissioner:

• signs the Placement Provision Schedule;

• issues a purchase order expressly incorporating the applicable placement documents; or

• confirms acceptance in writing, including by email.

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The person approving the placement confirms that they have authority to commit the commissioning organisation to the placement and associated expenditure.

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An invoice confirms payment due under the existing commissioning arrangement. It does not, by itself, introduce new contractual terms.

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Our Commitment

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We value our relationships with schools, Local Authorities, families and professionals.

The Ranch remains committed to collaborative working, clear communication and the delivery of consistent, safe and supportive provision that keeps the young person at the centre of decision-making.