Changes to short breaks services for adults with a learning disability

The request was successful.

Dear Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council,

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I kindly request the following information in relation to short breaks services for adults with a learning disability in your local authority. NB: short breaks services are also known as respite services.

1) How many adults aged 18-64 with a learning disability were known to social services in a) 2009/10, b) 2010/11, c) 2011/12 and d) 2012/13?

2) What was your net expenditure for short breaks services for adults aged 18-64 with a learning disability in a) 2009/10, b) 2010/11 and c) 2011/12, and d) what was the agreed budget figure for 2012/13?

3) How many adults aged 18-64 with a learning disability attended short breaks services in a) 2009/10, b) 2010/11 and c) 2011/12, and d) what is your projection for short breaks service use in 2012/13?

4) How many short breaks services closed in a) 2009/10, b) 2010/11 and c) 2011/12, and d) have you closed/are you planning to close any short breaks services in 2012/13?

5) If there have been short breaks service closures within the local authority, have alternative services been put in place for those who attended the short breaks service?

Please give details of a) the number of adults aged 18-64 with a learning disability who attended the service(s) that closed, and b) the number of adults aged 18-64 with a learning disability who attend the alternative service(s) (if applicable).

Yours faithfully,

Jo Davies

Accesstoinformation, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Dear Jo,

Thank you for your request for information regarding 'short breaks
services for adults with a learning disability in our local authority'
(reference number 22211). Your request was received on the 5th September
2012 and I am dealing with it under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and/or the Environmental Information Regulations
2004.

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case, I
will let you know. A fees notice will be issued to you, and you will be
required to pay before we will proceed to deal with your request.

If you have any queries about this request, please contact Information
Governance on 01254 585852. Alternatively, our email address is
[Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council request email].

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

Kind Regards,

Heather Wolstenholme
Freedom of Information Officer
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Information Technology Management and Governance
Tel: 01254 585651
Fax: 01254 585286

Post: Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, IT Dept, G Floor, Tower
Block, Town Hall, Blackburn, Lancs. BB1 7DY.
Website: www.blackburn.gov.uk
Email: [email address]

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Accesstoinformation, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Dear Jo,

Thank you for your request for information regarding 'short breaks
services for adults with a learning disability in our local authority'
(reference number 22211). In order for us to process your request for
information please could you provide the following clarification:

Please could you provide a definition of 'known to social services'.

In regards to short break services, please could you clarify if this
includes day care services, as this can sometimes be counted as respite
for the carer.

Regards,

[Name of Council employee removed]
Information Governance Officer

Information Technology, Management and Governance G Floor, Tower Block
Blackburn Town Hall Blackburn
BB1 7DY

Tel: 01254 58 5852

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Accesstoinformation, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Dear Jo,

Thank you for your request for information regarding ‘short breaks services for adults with a learning disability in our local authority' (reference number 22211). In order for us to process your request for information please could you provide the following clarification:

Please could you provide a definition of 'known to social services'.

In regards to short break services, please could you clarify if this includes day care services, as this can sometimes be counted as respite for the carer.

Regards,

[Name of Council employee removed]
Information Governance Officer

Information Technology, Management and Governance
G Floor, Tower Block
Blackburn Town Hall
Blackburn
BB1 7DY

Tel: 01254 58 5852

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Dear Jonathan,

Thanks for your email.

By 'known to social services' I mean the number of people with a learning disability who have come into contact with the local authority's social services in those years; this includes those who are in receipt of social care and those who have been assessed/reviewed but deemed ineligible for services.

I do not consider day care services to be short breaks services; the former are provided to meet an eligible need for day activities for the individual with a learning disability, the latter are provided to give the carer a break from caring. Therefore I am only looking for information on services provided explicitly to meet a carer's need for a break, as per the individual's or carer's care plan.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you require further clarification.

Yours sincerely,

Jo Davies

Accesstoinformation, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Jo,

Thank you for your request for information regarding short breaks services for adults with a learning disability (reference number 22211); please see our response below. If you have any queries regarding this request for information then please don't hesitate to contact me.

1) How many adults aged 18-64 with a learning disability were known to social services in a) 2009/10, b) 2010/11, c) 2011/12 and d)2012/13?

a) 382
b) 347
c) 380
d) 388 (data from 01/04/2012 to 31/08/2012)

2) What was your net expenditure for short breaks services foradults aged 18-64 with a learning disability in a) 2009/10, b) 2010/11 and c) 2011/12, and d) what was the agreed budget figure for 2012/13?

2009/10 2010/11 2011/12

St.Aidan's £ 297,479 £ 298,265 £282,817

3) How many adults aged 18-64 with a learning disability attended short breaks services in a) 2009/10, b) 2010/11 and c) 2011/12, and d) what is your projection for short breaks service use in 2012/13?

a) 50
b) 58
c) 54
d) 63 (63 users in total although some may choose a different package based on personalised budgets rather than an in house short term breaks service)

4) How many short breaks services closed in a) 2009/10, b) 2010/11 and c) 2011/12, and d) have you closed/are you planning to close any short breaks services in 2012/13?

No short breaks services closed in 2009/10, 2010/11 or 2011/12 - nor are any planned to close in 2012/13

5) If there have been short breaks service closures within the local authority, have alternative services been put in place for those who attended the short breaks service?

Not applicable as none have closed.

6) Please give details of a) the number of adults aged 18-64 with a learning disability who attended the service(s) that closed, and b)the number of adults aged 18-64 with a learning disability who attend the alternative service(s) (if applicable). Not applicable as none have closed.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint or request a review of our decision, you should write to: Sarah Slater, Information Governance Manager, Information Governance, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, G Floor, Town Hall, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 7DY.

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply directly 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 Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Please find attached our 'have your say' feedback policy.

Regards,

[Name of Council employee removed]
Information Governance Officer

Information Technology, Management and Governance
G Floor, Tower Block
Blackburn Town Hall
Blackburn
BB1 7DY

Tel: 01254 58 5852

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Dear Jonathan,

Many thanks for this information.

Re question 2(d): you have not provided information on the agreed budget figure for 2012/13. Please can you do so.

Yours sincerely,

Jo Davies

Accesstoinformation, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Dear Jo,

Please accept my apologies:

2 (d) Gross Budgeted expenditure for 2012/13 for St.Aidan's £337,900.

Kind Regards,

[Name of Council employee removed]
Information Governance Officer

Information Technology, Management and Governance
G Floor, Tower Block
Blackburn Town Hall
Blackburn
BB1 7DY

Tel: 01254 58 5852

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Dear Jonathan,

Do you also have net budget figures for 2012/13? Just so it's comparable to the figures you've provided for previous years.

Yours sincerely,

Jo Davies

Accesstoinformation, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Hi Jo,

Please accept my apologies but the original figures provided were all gross therefore comparable. Is this OK or would you like me to go back and request net from the Adults Finance team?

Kind Regards,

[Name of Council employee removed]
Information Governance Officer

Information Technology, Management and Governance
G Floor, Tower Block
Blackburn Town Hall
Blackburn
BB1 7DY

Tel: 01254 58 5852

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Dear Jonathan,

If you could provide me with net figures that would be great, if not I will simply make a note that the figures you've given are gross.

Yours sincerely,

Jo Davies

Accesstoinformation, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Hi Jo,

Net figures as follows:

2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13

St.Aidan's £ 285,111 £ 279,376 £264,292 £329,200

Kind Regards,

[Name of Council employee removed]
Information Governance Officer

Information Technology, Management and Governance
G Floor, Tower Block
Blackburn Town Hall
Blackburn
BB1 7DY

Tel: 01254 58 5852

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