Looked After Children

Dear Ms Barlow

Re: Freedom of Information Act 2000

Thank you for your recent request made under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000.

Could you please clarify timescales of data being requested, for example
for the last financial year, for the last 2 years etc?

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires that we deal with requests
such as this within 20 working days. We are not required to include any
time whilst waiting for clarification of a request. We will endeavour to
proceed with your request as soon as you supply the information
required. If we have not received a reply within three months we will
treat this request as cancelled.

Please also note that we can only respond to requests for information
which is held by Staffordshire County Council, therefore if you require
information relating to looked after children within Stoke, you will
need to make a separate request to Stoke on Trent City Council.

Please contact me if you have any queries or require any advice and
assistance regarding this request.

Yours Sincerely
Gemma Allen
Access to Information Officer
Information Governance Unit
Law and Governance Directorate
Staffordshire County Council
1A Bailey Street
Stafford
ST17 4BG
Telephone: 01785 278568
Fax: 01785 278362
[email address]

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Dear Ms Barlow,

Re: Freedom of Information Act 2000

Thank you for your request for your clarification.

Over the last two years (1st March 2008 to 28th February 2010) there
have been 384 children subject of an interim care order. We cannot
confirm however how many of these were contested as this level of detail
would only be recorded in individual case files and it would take
considerably longer than 18 hours to search for this information which
would exceed the statutory cost ceiling.

Staffordshire's policy is in-line with the Working Together Safeguarding
Children's Guidance that children would only be taken away from parents
if it was felt that they would be suffering abuse, neglect and their
welfare was at risk.

If you have any queries or require any further information please do not
hesitate to contact me.

In the first instance if you have any comments relating to how your
request has been handled by our authority, please contact Philip Jones,
Head of Information Governance, Information Governance Unit, 1a Bailey
Street, Stafford, ST17 4BG.

If you have any further comments relating to how your request has been
handled by our authority, please contact the Information Commissioner,
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Yours Sincerely
Regards
Gemma Allen
Access to Information Officer
Information Governance Unit
Law and Governance Directorate
Staffordshire County Council
1A Bailey Street
Stafford
ST17 4BG
Telephone: 01785 278568
Fax: 01785 278362
[email address]

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