Direct payments and personal budgets

The request was partially successful.

Dear Hartlepool Council,

Under the Freedom of Information Act:

1.Please provide a copy of your policy regarding the trialling of SEN Direct Payments and personal budgets.

2.Please confirm whether all parents/carers issued with a new or amended statement since January 2012 have been informed about their right to apply for a Direct Payment for SEN provision under the Special Educational Needs (Direct Payments) (Pilot Scheme) Order 2012. How has this information been provided? Please provide a copy of any standard leaflet or letter issued together with confirmation of the date of issue.

3.Please confirm the number of parents/carers who are receiving SEN Direct Payments and what those Direct Payments relate to.

4.Please confirm whether any of these SEN Direct Payments could be provided outside the Pathfinder project, e.g. payments under Part 6 of a statement for transport.

5.Please provide a copy of your policy for considering requests for direct payments for SEN provision. If you do not have a policy, please confirm whether there are any limits placed on direct payments applications, e.g. they will not be provided if the LA has a block contract or there is a financial limit. Please confirm whether these criteria are communicated to parents and provide a copy of that document .

6.Please confirm your arrangements for reviewing appeals against a refusal of a request for SEN Direct Payments. Please provide a copy of any policy and any leaflet/letter issued to parents explaining this.

7.Please confirm what information is provided to parents/carers about the trialling of personal budgets. Please provide a copy of any leaflet or letter issued.

8.Please confirm how many parents/carers are receiving a personal budget within the auspices of the Pathfinder project?

9.Please confirm how parents/carers in receipt of SEN Direct Payments/ personal budgets obtained the information to make an application. For example, were they:

(a) sent the information with a new or amended statement
(b) recruited as part of a specific pilot
(c) neither (a )or (b), the family approached the LA having heard about SEN Direct Payments/personal budgets from other sources

10.Please provide a copy of your local offer.

Yours faithfully,

Measure Up!

Freedomofinformation, Hartlepool Council

1 Attachment

Dear Measure Up

 

Further to your request I can advise as follows:

 

Question(s) Response(s)
1.Please provide a copy of No formal policy in place at present.
your policy regarding the
trialling of SEN Direct  
Payments and personal
budgets. In principle, SEN DPs and personal budgets
available to every child/young person with a
  Statement or EHC Plan.

 
2.Please confirm whether all Parents informed on a case by case basis;
parents/carers issued with a information is provided verbally.
new or amended statement
since January 2012 have been  
informed about their right to
apply for a Direct Payment
for SEN provision under the
Special Educational Needs
(Direct Payments) (Pilot
Scheme) Order 2012. How has
this information been
provided? Please provide a
copy of any standard leaflet
or letter issued together
with confirmation of the date
of issue.

 
3.Please confirm the number 6; relating to a range of provision
of parents/carers who are including a work placement, equipment,
receiving SEN Direct Payments support to deliver an Occupational Therapy
and what those Direct programme in school, transport and home
Payments relate to. education provision.

 
4.Please confirm whether any Two of the direct payments are linked to
of these SEN Direct Payments statements.
could be provided outside the
Pathfinder project, e.g.
payments under Part 6 of a
statement for transport.

 
5.Please provide a copy of No formal policy in place at present.  In
your policy for considering principle, there are no limits on the value
requests for direct payments of a direct payment – we have packages in
for SEN provision. If you do place worth c. £20,000 per year.
not have a policy, please
confirm whether there are any  
limits placed on direct
payments applications, e.g.  
they will not be provided if
the LA has a block contract
or there is a financial
limit. Please confirm whether
these criteria are
communicated to parents and
provide a copy of that
document.

 
6.Please confirm your No formal arrangements in place at present –
arrangements for reviewing we consider each request on a case by case
appeals against a refusal of basis.
a request for SEN Direct
Payments. Please provide a
copy of any policy and any
leaflet/letter issued to
parents explaining this.

 
7.Please confirm what Draft of factsheet attached
information is provided to
parents/carers about the
trialling of personal
budgets. Please provide a
copy of any leaflet or letter
issued.

 
8.Please confirm how many 22 (some are notional)
parents/carers are receiving
a personal budget within the
auspices of the Pathfinder
project?

 
9.Please confirm how B
parents/carers in receipt of
SEN Direct Payments/ personal
budgets obtained the
information to make an
application. For example,
were they:

 

(a) sent the information with
a new or amended statement

(b) recruited as part of a
specific pilot

(c) neither (a )or (b), the
family approached the LA
having heard about SEN Direct
Payments/personal budgets
from other sources

 
10.Please provide a copy of http://hartlepool.fsd.org.uk/send
your local offer.
   

 

I hope that this information deals with your request, however if you are
dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask
for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted
within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original
request and should be sent to Chief Executives Department, Legal Services
Division, Level 3, Civic Centre, Hartlepool, TS24 8AY,
[email address].

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF, www.ico.gov.uk.

 

Kind Regards

 

Hayley Martin

 

 

Constitutional & Administrative Solicitor

Legal Division

Civic Centre - Level 3

Tel: 01429 523182

Fax: 01429 523481

[1][email address]

[2]www.hartlepool.gov.uk

 

Please note I work from home on Mondays. Please email me or contact the
office for my home contact details. 

 

 

 

Emma.

 

Emma Straker

SEN Manager, Child and Adult Services

Education Development Centre

Seaton Lane

Hartlepool

TS25 1HN

 

01429 284242 / 07825 862587

 

 

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show quoted sections

Dear Emma,

I am afraid the responses are jumbled so that they do not make sense.

Could you provide a clearer copy?

Yours sincerely,

Measure Up!

Hayley Martin, Hartlepool Council

2 Attachments

Dear Measure Up

 

I’ve included the information previously ser out in a word document. I
hope this is now clear. Any problems, please let me know.

 

Kind Regards

 

Hayley Martin

Constitutional & Administrative Solicitor

Legal Division

Chief Executves Department

Civic Cetre

Hartlepool

TS24 8AY

 

Tel: 01429 523182

Fax: 01429 523481

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Hayley Martin On Behalf Of Freedomofinformation
Sent: 25 July 2013 16:09
To: '[FOI #167824 email]'
Subject: FOI 3710

 

Dear Measure Up

 

Further to your request I can advise as follows:

 

Question(s) Response(s)
1.Please provide a copy of No formal policy in place at present.
your policy regarding the
trialling of SEN Direct  
Payments and personal
budgets. In principle, SEN DPs and personal budgets
available to every child/young person with a
  Statement or EHC Plan.

 
2.Please confirm whether all Parents informed on a case by case basis;
parents/carers issued with a information is provided verbally.
new or amended statement
since January 2012 have been  
informed about their right to
apply for a Direct Payment
for SEN provision under the
Special Educational Needs
(Direct Payments) (Pilot
Scheme) Order 2012. How has
this information been
provided? Please provide a
copy of any standard leaflet
or letter issued together
with confirmation of the date
of issue.

 
3.Please confirm the number 6; relating to a range of provision
of parents/carers who are including a work placement, equipment,
receiving SEN Direct Payments support to deliver an Occupational Therapy
and what those Direct programme in school, transport and home
Payments relate to. education provision.

 
4.Please confirm whether any Two of the direct payments are linked to
of these SEN Direct Payments statements.
could be provided outside the
Pathfinder project, e.g.
payments under Part 6 of a
statement for transport.

 
5.Please provide a copy of No formal policy in place at present.  In
your policy for considering principle, there are no limits on the value
requests for direct payments of a direct payment – we have packages in
for SEN provision. If you do place worth c. £20,000 per year.
not have a policy, please
confirm whether there are any  
limits placed on direct
payments applications, e.g.  
they will not be provided if
the LA has a block contract
or there is a financial
limit. Please confirm whether
these criteria are
communicated to parents and
provide a copy of that
document.

 
6.Please confirm your No formal arrangements in place at present –
arrangements for reviewing we consider each request on a case by case
appeals against a refusal of basis.
a request for SEN Direct
Payments. Please provide a
copy of any policy and any
leaflet/letter issued to
parents explaining this.

 
7.Please confirm what Draft of factsheet attached
information is provided to
parents/carers about the
trialling of personal
budgets. Please provide a
copy of any leaflet or letter
issued.

 
8.Please confirm how many 22 (some are notional)
parents/carers are receiving
a personal budget within the
auspices of the Pathfinder
project?

 
9.Please confirm how B
parents/carers in receipt of
SEN Direct Payments/ personal
budgets obtained the
information to make an
application. For example,
were they:

 

(a) sent the information with
a new or amended statement

(b) recruited as part of a
specific pilot

(c) neither (a )or (b), the
family approached the LA
having heard about SEN Direct
Payments/personal budgets
from other sources

 
10.Please provide a copy of http://hartlepool.fsd.org.uk/send
your local offer.
   

 

I hope that this information deals with your request, however if you are
dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask
for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted
within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original
request and should be sent to Chief Executives Department, Legal Services
Division, Level 3, Civic Centre, Hartlepool, TS24 8AY,
[email address].

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF, www.ico.gov.uk.

 

Kind Regards

 

Hayley Martin

 

 

Constitutional & Administrative Solicitor

Legal Division

Civic Centre - Level 3

Tel: 01429 523182

Fax: 01429 523481

[1][email address]

[2]www.hartlepool.gov.uk

 

Please note I work from home on Mondays. Please email me or contact the
office for my home contact details. 

 

 

 

Emma.

 

Emma Straker

SEN Manager, Child and Adult Services

Education Development Centre

Seaton Lane

Hartlepool

TS25 1HN

 

01429 284242 / 07825 862587

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

show quoted sections

Dear Hayley Martin,

Many thanks.

Yours sincerely,

Measure Up!