"piloting" some of the "key reforms to services for child asylum seekers"

Please accept this email as a formal acknowledgement of the receipt of
your freedom of information request. We will endeavour to complete your
request within the 20 working day deadline for FOI requests. However,
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are any delays, I will be in touch with you.

Regards
Karen

Dear Sir or Madam,

Further to the recent article 'Child asylum seeker specialist
council plan remains stalled' available online at:

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/...

can you please provide me with copies of any minutes, handouts or
presentations provided at any meetings or workshops your
authority
has been represented on with the UKBA on the matter of "key
reforms
to services for child asylum seekers" (1) over the last six
months.

Please also provide me with copies of any minutes, handouts or
presentations you hold that relate to a set of regional
meetings/forums/workshops your authority was requested to attend
or
be represented at (2), although these meetings were planned for
October 2008 I understand they actually took place in November
2008. (3)

Please provide any information you hold that suggest why the "key
reforms to services for child asylum seekers" will not take place
until at least 2010.

"Solihull chief executive Mark Rogers told Community Care this
week
he did not expect the scheme to be fully implemented until April
2010" (4)

Please also provide full details of how or whether your local
authority is planning to or already is "piloting" some of the
"key
reforms to services for child asylum seekers". Please
specifically
confirm or deny whether your local authority is involved in such
"piloting".

"..he did not expect the scheme to be fully implemented until
April
2010, following a period of piloting." (5)

Please confirm of deny whether your local authority has been
formally or informally requested to provide 'Expressions of
Interest' or make "Bids" made in connection with acting in any as
a
"specialist authority" for these "key reforms to services for
child
asylum seekers" . Please provide copies of any of these
'Expressions of Interest' or "Bids", whether or not they have
been
finalised or sent to the UKBA, as requested by them end of
January
2009 deadline. (6)

Yours faithfully,

Cassidy, J

Notes:

(1) Planning better outcomes and support for unaccompanied asylum
seeking children - a consultation

http://ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/siteconten...

(2) Asylum-seeking children plan could face delay

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/...

(3) Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) Reform Programme
UKBA also ran regional UASC Reform events in November.

http://www.refugeeaccess.info/uploads/y&...

and

Letter to Chief Executives of Local Authorities and Directors of
Children’s Services Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC)
-
New Dates For Regional Workshops The dates for the rearranged
workshops are as follows:- Region Date Time Location Midlands 6
November 14.00 to 17.00 Birmingham North East 11 November 14.00
to
17.00 Newcastle South West and Wales 12 November 14.00 to 17.00
Cardiff North West 13 November 14.00 to 17.00 Manchester
Yorkshire
and Humberside 18 November 14.00 to 17.00 Leeds UKBA

(4) Asylum-seeking children plan could face delay

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/...

(5) Asylum-seeking children plan could face delay

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/...

(6) YHRMP policy update - December 2008 Local Authorities are in
the process of developing their bids while UKBA is looking at how
they can alleviate some of their concerns. Expressions of
interest
for UASC specialist authorities are due by January 2009.

http://www.refugeeaccess.info/uploads/y&...

show quoted sections

I've been informed that the information you require, will be provided in
paper copy.
Could you please provide a postal address so that we can get them to
you next week.

I have been given no reason as to why electronic copies cannot be
provided, other than the information being supplied to me by our Head of
Children's Services.

Please supply your address and we will endeavour to provide the
information as soon as possible.

Regards
Karen Black

Karen Black
Public Information Officer
(01633) 233256 direct line
[email address]
Room 108
Social Wellbeing & Housing
Civic Centre
Newport NP20 4UR

show quoted sections

I write regarding your freedom of information request regarding the
above.

Please find attached paperwork that was provided at meetings of
workshops that Newport City Council has been represented on with the
UKBA on the matter of "key reforms to services for child asylum seekers"
over the last six months.

Please find attached a letter of invitation, an agenda and handout
relating to the Home Office meeting in Wales in November 2008. We can
confirm that a representative attended the aforementioned meeting.

We can confirm that at this point in time we are not proposing to pilot
the key reforms.

We confirm that we were approached along with all the other Local
Authorities in Wales for "Expressions of Interest". Please find
relevant letter attached.

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to
contact me.

Regards
Karen Black

Karen Black
Public Information Officer
(01633) 233256 direct line
[email address]
Room 108
Social Wellbeing & Housing
Civic Centre
Newport NP20 4UR

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