Number of children subject to a Child Protection Plan and those who are home schooled

Reference 787.12
Date Responded 08/01/2010
Response Type
Part disclosure, part refusal under Section 12(1)
Request
I would be very grateful if you could supply me with the following for each year since 2004:
 
1.    How many home educated children in your area were subject to a Child Protection Plan?
2.    What was the total number of all children in your area who were subject to a Child Protection Plan?
 
For clarity, these are children who would formerly have been on the Child Protection Register.
 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email of 7 January, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.
 
1.  For each year since 2004, how many home educated children in your area were subject to a Child Protection Plan?
 
Although we can confirm that Lancashire County Council does hold this information, collating it would incur a commitment of resources in excess of the limit of £450 set by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 (SI No. 3244 of 2004), which equates to 18 hours of work. Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act provides that a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request where to do so would exceed such a limit.
 
This is because there is no central record of whether a child that is home educated has a child protection plan, and similarly no central record of whether a child with a child protection plan is home educated.  As such, collating the information would require a manual search of the social services database for each child that has been registered as home educated.  Such a task would involve many hundreds of individual children.  Even figures for just the last year would require a manual search for, and scrutiny of, any files for approximately 500 children; this in itself is likely to take more than the 18 hours stipulated above.  Accordingly, it is extremely difficult to suggest a way in which your request can be amended to bring it within the limit.
 
2.  For each year since 2004, what was the total number of all children in your area who were subject to a Child Protection Plan?
 
Please note there are approximately 290,000 children in Lancashire.
 
As at 31 December 2009, 773 children in Lancashire had a Child Protection Plan.
 
The figures below are the totals of children with a Child Protection Plan at the stated dates in the previous years: 
 
31/03/2004 - 376
31/03/2005 - 398
31/03/2006 - 517
31/03/2007 - 564
31/03/2008 - 510
31/03/2009 - 658
  
Attachments None

Top of Page

Information in relation to child protection cases

Reference 787.5
Date Responded 29 January 2010
Response Type
Partial disclosure, part refusal under section 12(1)
Request
I am writing to ask you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 whether you could provide me with the following information
 
1.    As of 1 January 2009, how child protection cases were unallocated?(An unallocated case is one in which there is no named qualified consistent social worker visiting a child regularly, following a purposeful plan overseen by a line manager.)
2.    How many children in your authority have been classified as having adoption in their best interest but have yet to be adopted? How many of them have been waiting for longer than 3 years?
3.    How does your children’s services department pass lists of children with child protection plans to local hospitals? (e.g. by email, by letter) How often is this done? To which hospitals are the lists sent?
4.    If your children’s services have been assessed by Ofsted under the Common Area Assessment, approximately how much did it cost your authority to prepare for that inspection?
5.    How many and what proportion of employees within the local authority who have been obliged to undergo a CRB check are overseas workers? How many of them are from France or Australia?
 
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require clarification.
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email dated 4th January 2010 in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to provide you with a response.
  1. As of 1 January 2010, how child protection cases were unallocated? (An unallocated case is one in which there is no named qualified consistent social worker visiting a child regularly, following a purposeful plan overseen by a line manager.)
We can confirm that all children subject to a Child Protection Plan have an allocated qualified Social Worker who sees the child on a regular basis and that the Child Protection Plan is overseen by a manager.
  1. How many children in your authority have been classified as having adoption in their best interest but have yet to be adopted? How many of them have been waiting for longer than 3 years?
Lancashire County Council has 68 children where the adoption agency has made the decision that they should be placed for adoption but they have not yet been placed for adoption.  Although the adoption agency has made this decision not all children can be placed for adoption as there may be ongoing care proceedings and a placement order has not yet been made. Of the 68 children who are waiting 3 have been waiting for longer than 3 years including a sibling group of two children.
           
There are also 54 children placed for adoption but not yet adopted. Two of these children had the agency decision that they should be placed for adoption more than 3 years ago.
  1. How does your children’s services department pass lists of children with child protection plans to local hospitals? (e.g. by email, by letter) How often is this done? To which hospitals are the lists sent?
Lancashire County Council does not send lists of children subject to a child protection plan to hospitals. The procedure is that if the hospital has concerns about the safety or welfare of a child they should make an enquiry to Children’s Social Care to check if the child has or is subject to a Child Protection Plan. Furthermore, out of normal office hours, hospitals can check via the Emergency Duty Team whether a child is known to the Directorate or is subject to a Child Protection Plan.
  1. If your children’s services have been assessed by Ofsted under the Common Area Assessment, approximately how much did it cost your authority to prepare for that inspection?
Lancashire County Council spent a relatively small amount of time preparing explicitly for the CAA as this year's CAA largely called upon the Council's review of the Children and Young People's Plan and other performance management information which had already been prepared for other purposes. LCC was subject to an Unannounced Inspection, which by its very nature meant that there was little preparation required or possible. In the last year we have not received a Safeguarding/Looked After Children Inspection which would have required some preparation.  
 
Some time was spent with Senior managers earlier in the year providing briefings about the new CAA arrangements but this did not incur any additional costs, just a re-direction of some management time, so is difficult to quantify/cost accurately. Time spent preparing for the CAA was certainly less than in previous years when the Council had to prepare for a Joint Area Review and the Annual Performance Assessment processes
  1. How many and what proportion of employees within the local authority who have been obliged to undergo a CRB check are overseas workers? How many of them are from France or Australia?
Lancashire County Council is unable to provide the information as we have no records of those who have had overseas checks. On the occasions when a post that requires a CRB is filled by someone who has lived overseas the establishment is guided to the CRB website to assist in completing an overseas check, were possible. To provide you with this information, in an Authority with over 40,000 employees would require a cascaded questionnaire being sent to over 600 schools and over 300 Managers across all services throughout the County with subsequent chase ups and checking/collation of the returns. Where this has been attempted in the past, the time taken has significantly exceeded that set out in the relevant FOI exemption and additionally the results have been viewed as incomplete and unreliable.
 
In light of this, we can confirm that to collate this information would incur a commitment of resources far in excess of the limit of £450 set by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 (SI No. 3244 of 2004), which equates to 18 hours of work. Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act provides that a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request where to do so would exceed such a limit.
 
Attachments None

Top of Page

Children who have been victims of serious offenses whilst in local authority care

Reference 787.69
Date Responded 11/02/2010
Response Type
Full disclosure
Request
Could you please tell me the number of children who have been victims of serious offences after they have gone into foster care, including rape, murder, sexual assaults and violent assaults.

Could you please break the figures down into allegations made by children (or their families), any charges which have arisen, and convictions.
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your request for information made under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to provide you with a response.
 
Could you please tell me the number of children who have been victims of serious offences after they have gone into foster care, including rape, murder, sexual assaults and violent assaults.
Could you please break the figures down into allegations made by children (or their families), any charges which have arisen, and convictions.
 
Figures have been taken from the Management of Allegations system which began with limited recording in 2004.  More detailed recording has been in place since 2006.  The records focus on allegations made against those who work with children or their associates (e.g. Foster carer’s son or another child in placement).  Allegations made against birth family members or members of the community are not recorded in these figures.
 
There were 348 contacts with the Local Authority Designated Officer in relation to “children looked after” by the Local Authority in Foster Care between Jan 2004 to date 8th February 2010
 
57 of these discussions/incidents involved investigations by the Police.
 
Of these:
35 did not lead to prosecution
17 are ongoing / waiting for outcome / outcomes are not recorded
5 led to a prosecution (details of outcome below)
 
Outcome of Police Investigations
Charge / Sentence
Status
1 Acquittal
Section 39 Assault
Foster Carer
2 Convictions
Caution for Assault
Foster Carers
1 Conviction
taking / possession of obscene photographs of children sentenced to 5 months custody
Foster Carer
1 Conviction
12 months custody in relation to sexual offences, 2 years consecutive, Sex offenders notice–Indefinitely, Disqualified from working with children–Indefinitely, Sexual offences prevention order 10 years
 
Foster Carer
 
Attachments None

Top of Page

Hourly charge to LCC for a teacher qualified in visual impairment giving advice

Reference 787.82
Date Responded 02/03/2010
Response Type
Full disclosure
Request
Please could you supply the hourly charge for the support/advice provided to Lancashire schools by a Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired and the cost of an In-service session to instruct those staff who are dealing with visually impaired pupils? Although these services are mentioned within the Inclusion Service's website , no charges are provided.

I should also like to enquire if  these services are available for private educational establishments and if so at what cost?  Would such services be available to those children within private schools who do not live within the Lancashire educational catchment area?
 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email of 29 January 2010, we are now in a position to respond to your enquiry regarding teachers for visually impaired pupils. We have answered each point of your enquiry below:
 
1.       The hourly charge for a specialist teacher is £62; this includes travel, preparation time and delivery.
2.       In-service training such as whole staff training or specialist training to individual teachers or TAs is £70 per hour to include travel, preparation time and resources.
3.       Specialist teacher time is available to all education establishments.
  
Attachments None

Top of Page

Criteria for which children qualify for support from the Children with Disabilities Team

Reference 787.210
Date Responded 08/04/2010
Response Type
Part disclosure, some information not held
Request
Request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000

Please send me the criteria by which Lancashire Children's services make
decisions as to which children qualify for support from the children with
disabilities team and which do not. I would also like the minutes of any
meetings at which these criteria have been discussed and any reports, papers
or internal correspondence dealing with this issue.
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email, dated 14 March, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.
 
Please find attached a copy of the criteria you have requested.
 
It is understood that these criteria were agreed at a meeting of Area Managers on 23 October 2006, although minutes of that meeting are no longer held.
  
Attachments Criteria (pdf)

Top of Page

EYFS Practitioners Status

Reference 787.191
Date Responded 12/04/2010
Response Type
Full disclosure
Request
Of the 88 funded settings how many have successfully completed the EYFS practitioner status, not just accessed the course?
 
We have 8 settings where the practitioner has not yet attained the status. The progress of these settings is being monitored.” 
 
Of these 8 settings disclosed above
 
1.Could you please disclose when each of the settings was first funded? And,
 
2.Could you disclose the date when each will attend the EYFS Practitioner course? And,
 
3.Could you disclose the earliest date when each will attain EYFS Practitioner status?
 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email requesting details of EYFS practitioners, we are now in a position to respond and answer each of your questions in turn below.
 
1. Could you please disclose when each of the settings was first funded?
 
Funding was agreed for all 8 settings in late 2007.
 
2. Could you disclose the date when each will attend the EYFS Practitioner course?
 
In two of the settings they have not remained on track to attain EYP status and funding arrangements have been changed to take this into account.
 
In 5 settings the graduate who was in post at the time of the application for grant funding attempted to gain the EYP status but they have left the setting through retirement or for other reasons. All the graduates attempted to gain the qualification within the expected time frame.
 
All those currently engaged in the programme are enrolled.
 
3. Could you disclose the earliest date when each will attain EYFS Practitioner status?
 
1 has gained EYP status
1 is expected to gain EYP status by Summer 2010
2 are expected to gain EYP status by Autumn 2010   
3 are expected to gain EYP status in early 2011
  
Attachments None

Top of Page

Children in care and suicide figures

Reference 787.268
Date Responded 06/05/2010
Response Type
Full disclosure
Request
Could you please supply me with the following information:
 
· How many looked after children and young people in your care have committed suicide in the last five years (from 1st April 2005 to 31st March 2010)?
· How many care leavers have committed suicide within one year of leaving care in the last five years (from 1st April 2005 to 31st March 2010)?
· How many looked after children and young people in your care have been prescribed Ritalin in the last five years?
 
If, for any reason, you are unable to provide the information for any of the above questions, please provide a response with information for any remaining questions that you are able to answer
 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email dated 7th April 2010 in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to provide you a response.
 
How many looked after children and young people in your care have committed suicide in the last five years (from 1st April 2005 to 31st March 2010)?
 
In the last 5 years there has been 1 death of a looked after child as a result of suicide.
 
How many care leavers have committed suicide within one year of leaving care in the last five years (from 1st April 2005 to 31st March 2010)?
 
In relation to care leavers there has been 1 young people who committed suicide within a year of leaving care.
 
How many looked after children and young people in your care have been prescribed Ritalin in the last five years?
 
We can confirm that Lancashire County Council does not hold the information in relation to this aspect of your enquiry as the information is not recorded.
 
Attachments None

Top of Page

Allegations of abuse at nurseries

Reference 787.304
Date Responded 10/06/2010
Response Type
Full disclosure
Request
Please could you answer the following questions under the Freedom of Information Act about children being reported as sexually abused at nursery schools.
 
1.) How many allegations did you receive of under 5 year olds being abused at children's nurseries in 2009 - 2010?
     How many allegations did you receive of under 5 year olds being abused at children's nurseries in 2008 - 2009?
     How many allegations did you receive of under 5 year olds being abused at children's nurseries in 2007 - 2008?
     How many allegations did you receive of under 5 year olds being abused at children's nurseries in 2006 - 2007?
 
     How many of the allegations are made against male members of staff each year?
     How many of the allegations are made against female members of staff each year?
 
2.) How many arrests have you made in connection to such abuse at nurseries over the past 4 years? If possible - please provide an annual breakdown in the figures.
 
3.) How many people have been charged in connection to abuse at nurseries over the past 4 years? If possible - please provide an annual breakdown in the figures 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email dated 21st April 2010 in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to provide you with a response.
 
1.) How many allegations did you receive of under 5 year olds being abused at children's nurseries in 2009 - 2010?
     How many allegations did you receive of under 5 year olds being abused at children's nurseries in 2008 - 2009?
     How many allegations did you receive of under 5 year olds being abused at children's nurseries in 2007 - 2008?
     How many allegations did you receive of under 5 year olds being abused at children's nurseries in 2006 - 2007?
 
     How many of the allegations are made against male members of staff each year?
     How many of the allegations are made against female members of staff each year?
 
 
Year Jan-Dec
Cases notified to Designated Officer in relation to Abuse
Gender of subjects
2007
2
1 not identified 1 female
2008
4
1 female 3 male
2009
3
1 not identified 1 female 1 male
2010 to date
1
female
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.) How many arrests have you made in connection to such abuse at nurseries over the past 4 years? If possible - please provide an annual breakdown in the figures.
 
Of the above 10 notifications 5 were subject to Police investigations/enquiries with Child Protection enquiries but none led to criminal proceedings. One worker resigned, one worker was ceased to be used and there was one referral to the Safeguarding Authority.  The rest were subject to employer’s action.
 
3.) How many people have been charged in connection to abuse at nurseries over the past 4 years? If possible - please provide an annual breakdown in the figures
As Q2.
  
Attachments None

Top of Page

Allegations of child abuse

Reference
787.249
Date Responded 11/06/2010
Response Type
Partial disclosure, partial refusal under section 12(1)
Request
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In order to assist you with this request, I am outlining my query as specifically as possible.
 
How many allegations of child abuse have been investigated by Lancashire County Council in each of the past five years?
 
How many are still currently being investigated?
 
What are the brief details and circumstances of each?
 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email dated 29th April 2010 in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to provide you with a response.
 
Allegations of child abuse made against parents or guardians of children to the county council's social services department which have subsequently been investigated by that department? 
 
CP Plans by Category of Abuse at the report end date - by District in April 2010
 
 
 
 
 
 
CP Plans by Category of Abuse
EMOTIONAL ABUSE
NEGLECT
PHYSICAL ABUSE
SEXUAL ABUSE
Total
BURNLEY DISTRICT
13
29
6
7
55
CHORLEY DISTRICT
14
29
4
 
47
FYLDE DISTRICT
7
12
3
2
24
HYNDBURN DISTRICT
25
18
26
7
76
LANCASTER DISTRICT
30
32
9
7
78
PENDLE DISTRICT
37
26
10
9
82
PRESTON DISTRICT
70
56
10
1
137
RIBBLE VALLEY DISTRICT
1
1
 
5
7
ROSSENDALE DISTRICT
20
30
4
1
55
SOUTH RIBBLE DISTRICT
16
20
1
2
39
WEST LANCASHIRE DISTRICT
18
34
8
 
60
WYRE DISTRICT
4
24
5
7
40
Grand Total
255
311
86
48
700
 
How many are still currently being investigated?
 
We can confirm that Lancashire County Council does not hold a centralised record of the number of cases currently being investigated. To provide you with this information would mean having to manually trawl through each individual case, of which there are thousands. This would incur a commitment of resources far in excess of the limit of £450 set by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 (SI No. 3244 of 2004), which equates to 18 hours of work. Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act provides that a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request where to do so would exceed such a limit.
 
What are the brief details and circumstances of each?
 
As Above.
  
Attachments
None

Top of Page

Number of children forcibly adopted since 2006

Reference 787.459
Date Responded 22/07/2010
Response Type
Full disclosure
Request
I would like to know how many children have been forcibly adopted (against parental consent and wishes) since 2006
 
Response

Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000

 

Further to your email dated 23rd June 2010, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.

 

I would like to know how many children have been forcibly adopted (against parental consent and wishes) since 2006.

 

I note from the initial correspondence that the request was made to South Ribble Borough Council. This council is not an adoption agency and you have clarified that information from the whole of Lancashire is acceptable.

 

Between April 2006 and April 2010 268 children were adopted through Lancashire County Council. Of these, 5 were what are termed relinquished babies i.e. mother (usually) asked for the child to be adopted. The remainder of the children (263) were either subject to a freeing order or a placement order. Both these orders imply that the children were placed for adoption against parental wishes as the children were subject to care proceedings. It may be that the parents, having listened to the evidence during the care proceedings, agreed to the making of a freeing order or placement order at the end of the proceedings. We do not record whether or not parents opposed the child being placed for adoption at the end of the care proceedings.

 

Of the 268 children when the adoption application was heard in 163 of the cases the final order was unopposed. In 121 of the cases parents consent was disposed with by the judge.

 

No children have been forcibly adopted to the best knowledge of the service. At the time of care proceedings a guardian is appointed to represent the interests of the child and it is very unlikely that a guardian would support an adoption plan if this was opposed by the child. Similarly, at the time of the adoption hearing the judge specifically seeks out the child's view.

 

This response addresses only public law proceedings. The authority does not keep a record of parental consent to adoption in private law proceedings. A typical example of this may be birth parents separate and mother remarries. The two decide to adopt the child of the first marriage. Father opposes this but the judge on balance makes the order. We do not keep a cumulative record of this. 
 
Attachments
None

Top of Page

Hourly pay for external suppliers of short break for children and young people

Reference 787.529
Date Responded 28/07/2010
Response Type
Full disclosure
Request
I request the following:
    
What do you pay per hour to external providers of short breaks for disabled children and young people for the following service types?
    
     • Domiciliary care in the home or another venue
     • Group and individual non-residential activities delivered by the provider
     • Supporting children and young people to access community based groups and activities
    
How many children and young people are currently in receipt of a personalised budget and what is the average value of their budget?
 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email dated 15th July 2010, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.
 
What do you pay per hour to external providers of short breaks for disabled children and young people for the following service types?
    
     • Domiciliary care in the home or another venue
     • Group and individual non-residential activities delivered by the provider
     • Supporting children and young people to access community based groups and activities
    
How many children and young people are currently in receipt of a personalised budget and what is the average value of their budget?
 
Domiciliary care is paid in the range of £10 to £20 per hour.  The actual cost paid is determined by the nature and extent of the child's disabilities. 
 
Group and individual non-residential activities are paid within the same range, as are services to support children and young people accessing community based activities.

Lancashire is not a pilot authority for Individualised Budgets.  The nearest we have to personal budgets within Children's Social Care are Direct Payments.  Currently there are 327 children/families who receive a DP Package at an average cost of £6883 per annum. 
Attachments None

Top of Page

Current Basic Fostering Allowances

Reference 787.504
Date Responded 11/08/2010
Response Type
Full disclosure
Request
Please can you quantify -
    
Current basic Fostering Allowances in your area, by age of child. Do these Allowances include Child Benefit, or do Foster Parents receive Child Benefit in addition to Fostering Allowances?
    
Additional Allowances for Holiday and Birthday Presents, Holidays, School Uniform, Initial Clothing, mileage.
    
Fees paid to Foster Parents.
 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email, dated 10 July, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.  Please accept our apologies for the delay in providing our response.
 
Please see the information below which shows details of fostering allowances for the 2010-11 year.
 
Allowances 2010/2011
  
Boarding Out
 
Basic Allowance
  • 0-4 years - £111.00
  • 5-10 years - £122.00
  • 11-15 years - £140.00
  • 16+ years - £168.53
Holiday Allowance
  • 0-4 years - £257.00
  • 5-10 years - £308.00
  • 11-15 years - £370.00
  • 16+ years - £483.00
Christmas Allowance
  • 0-15 years - £154.00
  • 16+ years - £175.00
Birthday Allowance
  • All ages - £103.00
Initial Clothing Allowance
  • 0-7 years - £394.20
  • 8-10 years - £406.95
  • 11-12 years – 521.95
  • 13+ years - £620.80
Leaving Care
 
Basic Allowance
  • £67.80
Enhancement Allowance
  • £20.35
Setting up Home Allowance
  • £1900.00
In respect of School Uniform a maximum of £234 is paid per child, either on starting a school or transferring from one school to another.
 
Mileage is paid at a rate of 46.9p per mile for journeys that are part of a child's care plan.  This would include, for example, mileage that relates to contact with birth parents, school attendance or health appointments.
 
Any activity based mileage is covered in the foster carer allowance.  The exception to that might be where extensive mileage costs are paid if a child attends an activity in which it excels and attends numerous competitions, or if a child is benefiting from a particular activity which again might involve higher than normal mileage costs. If this is the case this can be brought to the Additional Payments Panel for consideration, although it may not be approved.
 
Finally, foster carers are not able to claim Child Benefit for the children in their care.
 
Attachments None

Top of Page

Number of unborn babies subject to Child Protection Plans

Reference 787.567
Date Responded 25/08/2010
Response Type
Full disclosure
Request
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST
  1. In the 2009/10 financial year how many unborn children were the subject of a child protection conference or placed on a child protection register?
  2. In the 2009/10 financial year how many babies were made the subject of any type of care order where the Local Authority had full or shared parental responsibility for the baby, within its first eight weeks of life. 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email dated 29th July 2010, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.
  1. In the 2009/10 financial year how many unborn children were the subject of a child protection conference or placed on a child protection register?
There were 55 unborn children given a Child Protection plan between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010.
  1. In the 2009/10 financial year how many babies were made the subject of any type of care order where the Local Authority had full or shared parental responsibility for the baby, within its first eight weeks of life.
33
 
Attachments None

Top of Page

Number of children placed in residential homes out of the county

Reference 787.590
Date Responded 06/09/2010
Response Type
Partial disclosure, part refusal under section 12(1)
Request
I request the following information:-
    
The number of Looked After Children placed in residential homes out of county and the individual costs of these.
    
The total number of residential placements and the cost of these.
 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email dated 6 August 2010 we are now in a position to respond to your enquiry regarding residential placements/homes. We have answered your enquiry below.
 
The number of Looked After Children placed in residential homes out of county and the individual costs of these.
 
Count of Weekly Cost Band
 
Weekly Cost Band
Total
£501-£1000
2
£1001-£1500
3
£2001-£2500
8
£2501-£3000
8
£3001-£3500
2
Grand Total
23
 
The total number of residential placements and the cost of these.
 
Unfortunately, to collate this information would incur a commitment of resources in excess of the limit of £450 set by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 (SI No. 3244 of 2004), which equates to 18 hours of work. Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act provides that a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request where to do so would exceed such a limit.
 
Attachments None

Top of Page

Criteria for becoming a foster parents

Reference 787.624
Date Responded 13/09/2010
Response Type
Full disclosure
Request
1. The Council's policies and guidelines on who is suitable to be a foster parent;
2. The Council's policies relating to sexuality;
3. Any policies setting out how the Council will ensure that it does not discriminate against people with orthodox Christian beliefs when considering fostering applications;
4. All the Council's policies that ought reasonably to be considered by the Council when deciding not to allow a couple to be foster parents because of their beliefs on homosexuality.
 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email dated 14th August 2010, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.
 
1. The Council's policies and guidelines on who is suitable to be a foster parent;

We assess applicants suitability using the nationally recognised BAAF Form F assessment and good practice guidance.  Assessments must be compliant with National Minimum Standards and Fostering regulations.
 
2. The Council's policies relating to sexuality;
 
The County Council works within the Equality Act 2010, and Human Rights legislation.
 
3. Any policies setting out how the Council will ensure that it does not discriminate against people with orthodox Christian beliefs when considering fostering applications;
 
As above legislation.
 
4. All the Council's policies that ought reasonably to be considered by the Council when deciding not to allow a couple to be foster parents because of their beliefs on homosexuality.
 
A couples beliefs would not discount them as foster carers in itself, the impact those beliefs had on their ability to carry out the role of a foster carer would however need to be carefully considered, as would their ability to conduct themselves within the authorities expected non discriminatory practice.  All the previously noted legislation would apply. 
 
Attachments None

Top of Page

Looked after children who have gone missing

Reference 787.654
Date Responded 30/09/2010
Response Type
Full disclosure
Request
Could you please supply me with the following information?
 
· The number of looked after children from your local authority who have gone missing from your care and who have not subsequently been traced in the past 12 months.
· The age range of any children who fall into that category.
· The number of children, of any who have gone missing and who have not subsequently been traced in the past 12 months, who are unaccompanied asylum seeking young people.
 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email, below, I am now in a position to respond.
 
In the last 12 months, no children looked after by Lancashire County Council have gone missing and not subsequently been traced.
 
Attachments None

Top of Page

Former relevant children in Higher Education and at University

Reference 787.666
Date Responded 28/09/2010
Response Type
Full disclosure
Request
How many former relevant children is your local authority currently responsible for?
  • How many of those former relevant children currently attend university or a higher education institution?
  • Of those who attend university, how many have received the Higher Education Bursary for care leavers?
  • For those who have received the bursary, has this been paid in cash or in kind?
If cash, how were payments made (i.e. in instalments or a one-off payment)? If in kind, of what kind?
 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email dated 6th September 2010, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.
 
  • How many former relevant children is your local authority currently responsible for? 408
  • How many of those former relevant children currently attend university or a higher education institution? 21
  • Of those who attend university, how many have received the Higher Education Bursary for care leavers? None of the care leavers have yet received Bursary but all will be receiving this Bursary once everything is processed.
  • For those who have received the bursary, has this been paid in cash or in kind?
    • If cash, how were payments made (i.e. in instalments or a one-off payment)?
    • If in kind, of what kind? Cash and instalments
Attachments None

Top of Page

Number of care leavers who have committed suicide

Reference 787.769
Date Responded 26/10/2010
Response Type
Part disclosure, part refusal under Section 12(1)
Request
· How many looked after children and young people in your care have committed suicide in the last five years (from 1st April 2005 to 31st March 2010)?
 
· How many care leavers have committed suicide within one year of leaving care in the last five years (from 1st April 2005 to 31st March 2010)?
 
· How many looked after children and young people in your care have been prescribed Ritalin in the last twelve months?
 
Response
Further to your email dated 19th October 2010 we are now in a position to respond.
 
1.    How many looked after children and young people in your care have committed suicide in the last five years (from 1st April 2005 to 31st March 2010)?
 
One
 
2.    How many care leavers have committed suicide within one year of leaving care in the last five years (from 1st April 2005 to 31st March 2010)?
 
One
 
3.    How many looked after children and young people in your care have been prescribed Ritalin in the last twelve months?
 
Unfortunately, this information is not held on any central system and a complete answer would require going through each individual case record for all looked after children in the past 12 months. As such, to collate this information would incur a commitment of resources in excess of the limit of £450 set by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 (SI No. 3244 of 2004), which equates to 18 hours of work. Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act provides that a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request where to do so would exceed such a limit.
  
Attachments None

Top of Page

Statistics for looked after children

Reference 787.801
Date Responded 10/11/2010
Response Type
Part disclosure, part refusal under Section 12(1)
Request
How many children (aged 16 and under) were taken into care by the council in the following years:
- 2000
- 2005
- 2007
-2008
-2009
- 2010
 
What are the ages of these children?  
For those under one year old can you please break down into the following categories:
- newborn (0-2 weeks)
- one month old (2 - 6 weeks)
- 6 weeks - 6 months
- 6 months - one year
 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email dated 25th October 2010, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.
 
How many children (aged 16 and under) were taken into care by the council in the following years:
- 2000
- 2005
- 2007
-2008
-2009
- 2010
 
What are the ages of these children?  
For those under one year old can you please break down into the following categories:
- newborn (0-2 weeks)
- one month old (2 - 6 weeks)
- 6 weeks - 6 months
- 6 months - one year
 
Due to the way our recording systems are set up we are unable to provide the total number of children who became looked after by the Authority as requested.  We have however been able to provide data as a snapshot at the 31 March for various years breaking the numbers down into the age groups that are used in our reporting structure.  We are unable to provide the data for 2003 and before as to do so would entail a trawl through manual records and to collate this information would incur a commitment of resources in excess of the limit of £450 set by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 (SI No. 3244 of 2004), which equates to 18 hours of work. Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act provides that a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request where to do so would exceed such a limit.
 
 
On 31.03.10
On 31.03.09
On 31.03.08
On 31.03.07
On 31.03.05
On 31.03.04
Under 1
74
71
58
59
63
55
1 to under 5
255
220
232
238
202
211
5 to under 10
259
258
255
267
264
270
10 to under 16
470
482
513
525
567
561
16 to under 18
235
233
223
207
191
199
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TOTAL NUMBER OF CHILDREN LOOKED AFTER BY THE AUTHORITY AT THE GIVEN DATE
1293
1264
1281
1296
1287
1296
  
Attachments None

Top of Page

Allegations made against those working with children

Reference 787.771
Date Responded 17/11/2010
Response Type
Full disclosure
Request
This is a Freedom of Information Request relating to the allegations against those working with children and young people. I would like the number of referrals after an allegation by employment sector* and primary abuse category**, for each academic year (1st September through to 31st August) since 2000, or the earliest available date if after 2000. This is likely to be held by your Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), in a form similar to the one submitted to the DCSF for their fifth report of session 2008-09  “Allegations Against School Staff’.
 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email of 20 October, we are now in a position to respond to your enquiry regarding referrals and allegations. Please see the attached spreadsheet which contains the information you have requested.
  
Attachments Response (excel)

Top of Page

Adoption and Fostering Service

Reference 787.843
Date Responded 24/11/2010
Response Type
Part disclosure, part refusal under Section 12(1)
Request
I am looking to obtain the following information regarding your Adoption and Foster Caring Services:
 
1.    How many applicants do you get in a year that apply to be a carer/fosterer?
2.    How many of the applications are successful and complete the adoption/fostering process?(averages/percentage of success rates)
3.    How often would a applicant attend training in one year?
4.    What training is available for applicants in the adoption/fostering process?
5.    How much is spent on training for carers/ fosters per annum and every two years?
 
Response
Access to Information under the Freedom of Information (2000)
 
Thank you for your letter dated 11 November 2010, in which you request disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act; we are now in a position to respond.
 
1.    How many applicants do you get in a year that apply to be a carer/fosterer?
 
In 2009 629 enquiries were received in relation to becoming a carer/fosterer. In 2010 (from Jan to October) 404 enquires have been received.
 
2.    How many of the applications are successful and complete the adoption/fostering process?(averages/percentage of success rates)

Conversion rate is approximately 10%.
 
3.    How often would a applicant attend training in one year?
 
In the first year of approval there are 6 mandatory courses for carers to attend. They can also access other courses as required.
 
4.    What training is available for applicants in the adoption/fostering process?
 
The pre-approval training for fostering applicants takes 2.5 days. This is mandatory for all applicants.
 
5.    How much is spent on training for carers/ fosters per annum and every two years?

Unfortunately the costs of training, such as staff, materials and room/venue hire are wrapped up in the general cost of the fostering team and not identified separately. Therefore to collate information would incur a commitment of resources in excess of the limit of £450 set by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 (SI No. 3244 of 2004), which equates to 18 hours of work. Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act provides that a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request where to do so would exceed such a limit.
Attachments None

Top of Page

Children not in school but taught by an alternative provision

Reference 787.847
Date Responded 22/12/2010
Response Type
Full disclosure
Request
How many children under 16 are educated by the local authority, but not in school or a pupil referral unit? What form does this alternative provision take – for example home tutors, lessons in community centres.
 
What is the budget allocation for this alternative provision in this current financial year, and for 2011/12?  What was the budget provision in 2005?
 
What is the budget allocation for home tuition for children taught through alternative provision?  What was the budget provision in 2005?
 
How many children receive home tuition paid for by the council?  Is the demand increasing, or decreasing?
 
What are the maximum and minimum levels of home tuition given to a child (for example the number of hours)?  What is the average?
 
How is the home tuition provision supervised and monitored in your LA?
 
How many children are known to your authority, but are currently not in any form of education?  If known what are the main reasons for this?
 
What is the current pupil referral unit provision in your local authority? What number of pupils are currently taught in PRUs? What age range do your PRUs cover?
 
Response
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Further to your email dated 12th November 2010 in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to provide you with a response.
 
·         How many children under 16 are educated by the local authority, but not in school or a pupil referral unit?
 
The DofE January 2010 Alternative Provision Census recorded 509 pupils receiving alternative provision from the Local Authority.
 
·         What is the budget allocation for this alternative provision in this current financial year, and for 2011/12?  What was the budget provision in 2005?
 
If a parent decides to remove a child from school roll in order to home educate them, this is known as Elective Home Education and the parent agrees to take on full responsibility for that education, including all costs involved i.e. providing resources, exams, private tuition if necessary. There is no Local Authority funding available for home educated children therefore. However, the Local Authority does finance a team of Support Officers who have a qualified background in education and are therefore able to make a professional judgment that a suitable education is taking place, in order to fulfil the duty of the Local Authority. The Officers also maintain annual contact with families and are available for any support or advice parents may need regarding their child's education. Management and admin/frontline enquiry service time is also required and funded by the LA. The budget for these officers for 2010-2011stands at just under £204,000
 
The budget provision for 2005 was £190,000.
 
·         What is the budget allocation for home tuition for children taught through alternative provision?  What was the budget provision in 2005?
 
The budget allocation for Elective Home Education was approximately £204,000.
The budget provision for 2005 was £190,000.
 
·         How many children receive home tuition paid for by the council?  Is the demand increasing, or decreasing?
 
As explained above, there is no Local Authority funding available for home educated children.
 
It is difficult to assess whether demand is increasing or decreasing, as according to current DFE guidelines, parents do not have to register their children with the LA; therefore our figures may not give an accurate representation of the total number of home educated children within Lancashire. 
 
For the current academic year (Sep 10 – July 2011), so far, there are 394 children registered as being home educated.
 
·         What are the maximum and minimum levels of home tuition given to a child (for example the number of hours)?  What is the average?
 
There is no set number of hours that a home educated child should be working towards; however the DFE recommends that the education should be 'full-time'.  Therefore, the Support Officers would recommend to parents that the education was approximate to the number of hours a child of that age and ability would be spending in school – approximately 20-25 hours per week.  However this is a guideline only and the parent has the flexibility to choose how they want to timetable the education into a normal day
 
·         How is the home tuition provision supervised and monitored in your LA?
It is the parent's responsibility to supervise the provision of their child's home education.  Normally, the Local Authority would visit annually to see that education is taking place. They can discuss with the parents their plans and child's progress, plus offer any advice needed.  However, if parents prefer, they can instead submit a report on their child's education. We encourage evidence of the child’s educational work but parents have no requirement to accept visits or to provide reports if they choose not to take up this offer.  Visits are requested on an annual basis but additional visits may be arranged if there are concerns.   
 
·         How many children are known to your authority, but are currently not in any form of education?  If known what are the main reasons for this?
 
There are 197 children known to our authority that are currently not in any form of Education, the main reasons being:
 
The children are new to the authority and are awaiting placement.
The children have left the authority and are awaiting placement within their new authority.
The children's whereabouts are known, but appropriate provision has yet to be obtained.
 
·         What is the current pupil referral unit provision in your local authority? What number of pupils are currently taught in PRUs? What age range do your PRUs cover?
 
School Number
PRU Name
Provision
Total Attended since Sept 2010
Age Range
01141
Stepping Stones School
24
11
5 - 11
02142
Haven School
16
9
5 - 11
07141
Golden Hill School
54
26
5 - 11
13143
Hendon Brook School
32
16
5 - 11
 
 
 
 
 
01149
Chadwick Centre
63
33
11 - 16
02143
McKee Centre
57
49
11 - 16
06141
Larches House
104
79
11 - 16
08147
The Acorns Centre
63
44
11 - 16
09145
Shaftesbury House
79
77
11 - 16
11142
Oswaldtwistle School
63
58
11 - 16
12142
The ISAAC Centre
63
39
11 - 14
12144
ACERS Campus EL
72
59
14 - 16
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Attachments None

Top of Page

Early Years Quality and Access Budget

Reference 787.843
Date Responded 01/11/2011
Response Type
Full disclosure
Request
Could you please tell me how much of the Early Years quality and Access grant* was awarded to independent schools. i.e. those settings were the Early Years provision was part of a larger fee paying educational institution, not stand alone playgroups and nurseries.

*My understanding was that Lancashire had £23 million.

If possible I would like to see an itemised list of all grants awarded to independent schools.
 
Response
Access to Information under the Freedom of Information (2000)
 
Thank you for your email dated 16 December 2010, in which you request disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act; we are now in a position to respond.
 
The amount of funding allocated to independents schools from the EYFS capital grant was £188,840.14. The original grant amount was £13,558,692. 
 
Please see the table below which itemises the amount of grant which school's were awarded.
 
School/Setting
Grant Approved
King Edward & Queen Mary Kindergarten & Pre-School
20,000.00
Oak House Nursery
20,000.00
Kirkham Grammar Junior Nursery School
19,998.50
Ashbridge Independent School
20,000.00
Ashbridge Independent School - Foundation
10,000.00
St Mary's Hall School
20,000.00
Highfield Priory School
19,433.32
Lancaster Steiner School Kindergarten
20,000.00
Highfield Priory School
19,433.32
Rossall Junior, Infant & Nursery School
19,975.00
Total
188,840.14
Attachments None

Top of Page