Private Fostering

The request was successful.

Hello,
I hope whoever is reading this is keeping well.
I am writing in connection to the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please could you endeavour to answer the following questions within 20 working days, as specified under its clauses:
Please can you break down the below information for the following calendar years: 2019 and 2020. Can you also please provide me the information for the period between 1 January 2021 and 28 February 2021.
Q1) Over the stated period, on how many separate occasions did a member of the public contact your council to inform you they suspected that a child was living in a private fostering arrangement (that hadn't been reported)? In order to report such a suspected private fostering arrangement, people are often directed to a council's children safeguarding board/children's services team (or similar) or encouraged to fill out a form (such as via a Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub) on the local authority's website. Please can you break down Q1 in terms of what type of person reported the private fostering arrangement (for example, but not limited to: school/teacher, neighbour)
1a) How many of the children living under such private fostering arrangements were found to have a disability (please specify what kind- such as autism, down syndrome- if that information, indeed, is recorded and retrievable under the constraints of the act)
1b) Following the subsequent completion of the Private Fostering Assessment (or similarly titled) form, how many placements were found to be prohibited?
1c) How many of the private foster carers had convictions recorded on their DBS disclosure form? Could you please breakdown all the above information in a table and on a case to case basis over the requested period.
I would like to receive this information in an electronic format. If you feel that a substantive response to this request is not possible within a reasonable time frame, or the request is too broad, I would be grateful if you could please contact me by email ([email address]) and provide assistance as to how I could refine the request.

Yours faithfully,
Yohannes Lowe

FOI Officer, North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

3 Attachments

 

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

 

Due to the unprecedented challenges we are facing during the coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic, resources may be diverted away from usual compliance
or information rights work.

 

Whilst the statutory timescales cannot be extended the response to your
request might be delayed as we may have to divert our resources to help
with other challenges.

 

Your patience is appreciated at this difficult time. We will respond to
your request as soon as we can.

 

In all further correspondence please quote our reference FOI3612 .

 

Thank you for your request for information.

 

Your request was received on 15/03/21 and the Council is dealing with it
under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

As required by the legislation, the Council aims to answer your request
promptly, but no later than 20 working days after receipt. As stated in
the Information Commissioner’s guidance, Awareness Guidance 11 Time for
Compliance, the 20 working day clock starts the day after the Council
received the request. The due date has been calculated to be 14/04/21 .

 

If the information you have requested contains reference to a third party,
then they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or
not to release the information to you.

 

Very occasionally, fees may be payable for the supply of information under
the Freedom of Information Act. This will be considered, and if fees are
payable in respect of this request the Council will contact you before
proceeding in order to be sure that you are happy to go ahead. Any fees
that do apply must be paid before the information is processed and
released.

 

Please note that an anonymised copy of our response to your request may be
published in the Council’s Disclosure Log where appropriate. This is a
record of responses to completed requests for information that the Council
has received and dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and
Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

 

The Council’s Disclosure Log is available online at the following address:

 

[1]http://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/category/...

 

If you have any queries in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact
us.

 

Kind Regards

 

Adam Howorth

Information Officer

Information Governance Team

Quadrant East, Cobalt Business Park, The Silverlink North, North Tyneside,
NE27 0BY

[2]North Tyneside Council

[3][IMG][4][IMG][5][IMG]

 

From: Yohannes Lowe <[FOI #736083 email]>
Sent: 13 March 2021 02:11
To: FOI Officer <[email address]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Private Fostering

 

*EXTRNL*
Hello,

I hope whoever is reading this is keeping well.

I am writing in connection to the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Please could you endeavour to answer the following questions within 20
working days, as specified under its clauses:

Please can you break down the below information for the following calendar
years: 2019 and 2020. Can you also please provide me the information for
the period between 1 January 2021 and 28 February 2021.

Q1) Over the stated period, on how many separate occasions did a member of
the public contact your council to inform you they suspected that a child
was living in a private fostering arrangement (that hadn't been reported)?
In order to report such a suspected private fostering arrangement, people
are often directed to a council's children safeguarding board/children's
services team (or similar) or encouraged to fill out a form (such as via a
Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub) on the local authority's website. Please
can you break down Q1 in terms of what type of person reported the private
fostering arrangement (for example, but not limited to: school/teacher,
neighbour)

1a) How many of the children living under such private fostering
arrangements were found to have a disability (please specify what kind-
such as autism, down syndrome- if that information, indeed, is recorded
and retrievable under the constraints of the act)

1b) Following the subsequent completion of the Private Fostering
Assessment (or similarly titled) form, how many placements were found to
be prohibited?

1c) How many of the private foster carers had convictions recorded on
their DBS disclosure form? Could you please breakdown all the above
information in a table and on a case to case basis over the requested
period.

I would like to receive this information in an electronic format. If you
feel that a substantive response to this request is not possible within a
reasonable time frame, or the request is too broad, I would be grateful if
you could please contact me by email ([email address]) and
provide assistance as to how I could refine the request.

Yours faithfully,

Yohannes Lowe

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

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[FOI #736083 email]

Is [North Tyneside Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of
Information requests to North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council? If
so, please contact us using this form:

[6]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[7]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:

[8]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

show quoted sections

FOI Officer, North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

6 Attachments

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

 

In all further correspondence please quote our reference FOI3612

 

Your request for information under the above legislation has now been
considered. Please see response attached, and please accept our apologies
on behalf of the Authority for the delay in providing this.

 

We have made it easier to request information from us. Our new [1]Request
for Information application is now available online. Here you can submit,
manage and stay updated on all your requests within an account. Click on
the link to create an account and get started. You will need a valid email
address to verify your account.

 

Please note that an anonymised copy of this response may be published in
our Disclosure Log where appropriate.

 

This is a record of responses to completed requests for information that
the Council has received and dealt with under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004. The Disclosure
Log is available online at the following address:

 

[2]http://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/category/...

 

I trust that this information answers your request, but if you have any
further requests please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

If you are unhappy with the way the Council has handled your request, you
may ask for an internal review. Please contact the Information Governance
Team no later than 40 working days after the date of this letter, after
which time we will consider the matter closed.

 

Law and Governance

North Tyneside Council

Quadrant

The Silverlink North

Cobalt Business Park

North Tyneside

NE27 0BY

 

e-mail [3][North Tyneside Council request email]

 

Further information is also available from the Information Commissioner
at:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

 

[4]www.ico.org.uk

 

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Scott McKeating

Information Governance Officer

Law & Governance

[5]North Tyneside Council.

 

Tel:    (0191) 643 7064

Email:   [6][email address]

 

[7]Description: Description: Description: Facebook[8]Description:
Description: Description: Twitter email

 

From: Adam.Howorth On Behalf Of FOI Officer
Sent: 15 March 2021 11:06
To: Yohannes Lowe <[FOI #736083 email]>
Subject: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOI3612

 

 

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

 

Due to the unprecedented challenges we are facing during the coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic, resources may be diverted away from usual compliance
or information rights work.

 

Whilst the statutory timescales cannot be extended the response to your
request might be delayed as we may have to divert our resources to help
with other challenges.

 

Your patience is appreciated at this difficult time. We will respond to
your request as soon as we can.

 

In all further correspondence please quote our reference FOI3612 .

 

Thank you for your request for information.

 

Your request was received on 15/03/21 and the Council is dealing with it
under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

As required by the legislation, the Council aims to answer your request
promptly, but no later than 20 working days after receipt. As stated in
the Information Commissioner’s guidance, Awareness Guidance 11 Time for
Compliance, the 20 working day clock starts the day after the Council
received the request. The due date has been calculated to be 14/04/21 .

 

If the information you have requested contains reference to a third party,
then they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or
not to release the information to you.

 

Very occasionally, fees may be payable for the supply of information under
the Freedom of Information Act. This will be considered, and if fees are
payable in respect of this request the Council will contact you before
proceeding in order to be sure that you are happy to go ahead. Any fees
that do apply must be paid before the information is processed and
released.

 

Please note that an anonymised copy of our response to your request may be
published in the Council’s Disclosure Log where appropriate. This is a
record of responses to completed requests for information that the Council
has received and dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and
Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

 

The Council’s Disclosure Log is available online at the following address:

 

[9]http://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/category/...

 

If you have any queries in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact
us.

 

Kind Regards

 

Adam Howorth

Information Officer

Information Governance Team

Quadrant East, Cobalt Business Park, The Silverlink North, North Tyneside,
NE27 0BY

[10]North Tyneside Council

[11][IMG][12][IMG][13][IMG]

 

From: Yohannes Lowe <[14][FOI #736083 email]>
Sent: 13 March 2021 02:11
To: FOI Officer <[15][email address]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Private Fostering

 

*EXTRNL*
Hello,

I hope whoever is reading this is keeping well.

I am writing in connection to the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Please could you endeavour to answer the following questions within 20
working days, as specified under its clauses:

Please can you break down the below information for the following calendar
years: 2019 and 2020. Can you also please provide me the information for
the period between 1 January 2021 and 28 February 2021.

Q1) Over the stated period, on how many separate occasions did a member of
the public contact your council to inform you they suspected that a child
was living in a private fostering arrangement (that hadn't been reported)?
In order to report such a suspected private fostering arrangement, people
are often directed to a council's children safeguarding board/children's
services team (or similar) or encouraged to fill out a form (such as via a
Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub) on the local authority's website. Please
can you break down Q1 in terms of what type of person reported the private
fostering arrangement (for example, but not limited to: school/teacher,
neighbour)

1a) How many of the children living under such private fostering
arrangements were found to have a disability (please specify what kind-
such as autism, down syndrome- if that information, indeed, is recorded
and retrievable under the constraints of the act)

1b) Following the subsequent completion of the Private Fostering
Assessment (or similarly titled) form, how many placements were found to
be prohibited?

1c) How many of the private foster carers had convictions recorded on
their DBS disclosure form? Could you please breakdown all the above
information in a table and on a case to case basis over the requested
period.

I would like to receive this information in an electronic format. If you
feel that a substantive response to this request is not possible within a
reasonable time frame, or the request is too broad, I would be grateful if
you could please contact me by email ([16][email address]) and
provide assistance as to how I could refine the request.

Yours faithfully,

Yohannes Lowe

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

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[17][FOI #736083 email]

Is [18][North Tyneside Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of
Information requests to North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council? If
so, please contact us using this form:

[19]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[20]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:

[21]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

show quoted sections