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This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Birmingham Council Children at Risk Poor Services'.

Our Ref: FOI 3416

3 November 2009

Luqman Khan

Via Email to [FOI #19515 email]

Dear Mr Khan

We refer to your following requests, dated 6th October 2009, made pursuant to s1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000:-

  1. Provide details of what action Birmingham City Council Chief Executive took to implement the recommendations in the 2007 report about the Council children services regarding the children potentially at risk.

  1. Provide details of what action Birmingham City Council Leader and the Deputy Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Children Services took to implement the recommendations in the 2007 report about the Council children services regarding the children potentially at risk.

  1. Provide copies of all the correspondence between the Council Chief Executive and other Council officials from 2006 onwards about Birmingham Council children services regarding the children potentially at risk.

  1. Provide details of the percentage of children (census classification) by racial groups of the children potentially at risk.

  1. Provide details from 2004 onwards of the racial equality impact assessment undertaken by Birmingham Council children services regarding the children potentially at risk.

  1. Provide details from 2004 onwards of the action plans that came out of the racial equality impact assessment of the Council children services regarding the children potentially at risk.

  1. Provide details of the actions taken by the Council Chief Executive to do with the Council children services regarding the children potentially at risk after the Commission for Racial Equality served an Enforcement Order in January 2007 on the Council because Birmingham Council was not complying with racial equality law in the Council services and in the Council employment.

  1. Provide details of the actions taken by the Council Chief Executive to do with the Council children services regarding the children potentially at risk after the Audit Commission Comprehensive Performance Assessment Report in February 2007 said that Birmingham Council was not complying with racial equality law.

  1. Provide details of the consultations the Birmingham Council has undertaken from 2006 onwards to do with the Council children services regarding the children potentially at risk.

  1. Provide details of the action plans that came out of consultations undertaken Birmingham Council from 2006 onwards to do with the Council children services regarding the children potentially at risk.

  1. Provide details of how many complaints have been submitted to Birmingham Council from 2006 onwards regarding Council children services to do with the children potentially at risk.

  1. Provide details of how many complaints have not been investigated by Birmingham Council from 2006 onwards regarding Council children services to do with the children potentially at risk.

  1. How many grievances are submitted by Birmingham Council employees working in the Council children service potentially at risk.

  1. How of the grievances were upheld and how many of the grievance were dismissed submitted by Birmingham Council employees working in the Council children service potentially at risk.

The Data Protection and Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limits and Fees) Regulations 2004 provide that where the costs of complying with one or more series of related requests exceeds, in the case of local authorities, 18 hours, are entitled to either:

  1. refuse the requests; or

  2. ask the requestor to scale down the requests; or

  3. invite the requestor to pay for the excess time at the statutory rate of £25.00 per hour.

Birmingham City Council considers that the 14 requests set out above are related requests, as they are all focused on “children at risk”, and estimates that the time involved by officers, in locating and collating the information requested, from the files held within both the Chief Executive's office and Children, Young People and Families Directorate will easily exceed the 18 hours set out in the legislation by a considerable amount.

Accordingly, Birmingham City Council invites you to either scale down the number of requests, so that the Council can provide the information to you within the 18 hours specified in the legislation, or alternatively, you can agree to pay the excess time at the specified statutory rate of £25.00 per hour.

If you elect to take this second option, please let us know, and we will endeavour to provide you with a detailed estimate. Upon receipt of cleared funds, we will provide you with the requested information.

Until we hear from you, this request is suspended.

If you are not satisfied with the response you may ask for an internal review. If subsequently you are not satisfied with the Council's decision you may apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the Council. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at the following address:

The Information Commissioner

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone: 01625 545745

Web Address: www.ico.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

Corporate Information Governance Team

Re use of Public Sector Information

The information provided is subject to Birmingham City Council copyright, however, it may be re-used for personal, educational or non-commercial purposes without further reference to the City Council. If the re-use is for other purposes, such as commercial re-use, you should notify the City Council in writing to seek approval or agree terms for re-use. Where Birmingham City Council does not hold the copyright, it has indicated the copyright holder. Permission for re-use should be sought from them directly.

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Corporate Information Governance Team Telephone: 0121-303 4876

Governance Directorate Facsimile: 0121-675 1427

1st Floor, 1 Lancaster Circus

Birmingham B4 7DQ