3rd November 2009
NB/RB/FOIA1337
01437 775240
Neil Bennett
[email address]
Mrs L Taylor
[email address]
Dear Mrs Taylor
Freedom of Information Act Request re Welfare Checklist (PLO) 2008 Introduced to Ensure Children are Placed With Relatives Rather Than in Care
Thank you for your request received in this office on 15th October 2009.
The information you requested is:
There is no requirement to complete the welfare checklist prior to making an application. There is a requirement to consider whether any family members are available prior to removing a child and we are able to confirm that this has been considered in all cases when an application has been made since the introduction of the PLO. (And prior as this is not a new requirement).
We have interpreted your request in the following way:
1. Advise how many times your Local Authority has applied for care orders via the Family Courts WITHOUT the Welfare checklist set out in section 1 of
the Children Act 1989 being completed.
And
2.
Whoever signs the application for a care order is responsible for
ensuring that the Welfare checklist has been fully completed,
please state who within your authority holds this position.
There is no requirement under the PLO for "the welfare checklist to be completed" prior to issuing proceedings although there is a pre proceedings checklist of documents that need to be filed at issue and by inference attention would have to be paid to identifying family members to look after the child prior to issue. Additionally the core assessment should be completed pre proceedings and likewise other carers would be considered as part of the wider family in family and environmental factors part of the assessment framework.
There is therefore no one person in the authority to ensure that the welfare checklist has been fully completed.
If you have any complaints in respect of your information request, the Council does have a complaints procedure which includes requests specifically relating to the Freedom of Information Act. If your complaint is not resolved by the Council's procedure, you have a right under S50 of the Act to apply to the Information Commissioner for a further review of the matter by writing to the Information Commissioner's Office, Cambrian Building, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff CF10 5FL.
Yours sincerely
Neil Bennett
Head of Information and Cultural Services.