G Swanson
Information Management
Shire Hall
Warwick
CV34 4RL
Telephone 01926 418633
Email xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Please ask for Jonathan Sheward
Our ref: 3078328
Your ref:
Date: 9 March 2018
Dear Sir/Madam,
Freedom of Information Act 2000
Your request for information has been considered by Warwickshire County Council
under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please be advised that we are unable to
provide all of the information that you have requested.
You asked us:
1. How many children of compulsory school age do you currently have under
local authority care?
As at 2 March 2018, and taking the compulsory school age as being for children/young
people aged from 5 years to 17 years of age, Wawickshire County Council has 597
Looked After Children (LAC).
Of these;
i) How many had their education delegated to a school by their parents before
going into care?
Please be advised that this information is not recorded on our central recording
database and is therefore not readily available.
In order for us to provide information in answer to this question, we would be required to
undertake a manual
review of individual records and files and we estimate that compliance with your
request would exceed the appropriate costs limit under Section 12 of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. Therefore we are not obliged to comply with your request.
The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and
Fees)Regulations 2004 currently sets the
appropriate costs limit at £450 which would amount to 18 hours of officer time.
Therefore please treat this response as a Refusal Notice in accordance with Section 12
of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
ii) How many were electively home educated by their parents before going into
care?
Please be advised that this information is not recorded on our central recording
database and is therefore not readily available.
In order for us to provide information in answer to this question, we would be required to
undertake a manual
review of individual records and files and we estimate that compliance with your
request would exceed the appropriate costs limit under Section 12 of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. Therefore we are not obliged to comply with your request.
The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and
Fees)Regulations 2004 currently sets the
appropriate costs limit at £450 which would amount to 18 hours of officer time.
Therefore please treat this response as a Refusal Notice in accordance with Section 12
of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
2. Can you please provide a statistical breakdown of the reasons why children in
your local authority have been put under local authority care?
The following statistical breakdown is for those LACs between the ages of 5 and 17
years old as per question 1 - and is broken down by the main categories that we record
against in our central recording database.
Number of
Category of Need
CLA
%
Absent parenting
67
11.22
Abuse or Neglect
305
51.09
Cases other than Children in
4
0.67
Need
Disablilty
19
3.18
Family dysfunction
108
18.09
Family in acute stress
65
10.89
Parental illness or disability
7
1.17
Socially unacceptable behaviour 22
3.69
Total CLA aged 5-17 years of
597
age inclusive
3. Please provide the number of children under local authority care classed as
children missing education for the years (Jan 01 - Dec 31 in all instances) 2015,
2016, 2017. Both for the years provided and those still CME (with the years they
have been CME).
Information not held. Please be advised that we do not keep a record where we define
our LAC's as Children Missing Education (CME).
To try and identify those LACs who are also CME would require a manual search/cross
referencing of a substantial number of files that could be expected to exceed the
appropriate costs limit under Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
4. Please provide a breakdown of how the children who are CSA under local
authority care are currently receiving their educational provision. Please include
CME statistics.
Please be advised that this information is not recorded on our central recording
database and is therefore not readily available.
In order for us to provide information in answer to this question, we would be required to
undertake a manual
review of a substantial number individual records and files and we estimate that
compliance with your request would exceed the appropriate costs limit under Section 12
of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Therefore we are not obliged to comply with
your request.
The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and
Fees)Regulations 2004 currently sets the
appropriate costs limit at £450 which would amount to 18 hours of officer time.
Therefore please treat this response as a Refusal Notice in accordance with Section 12
of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
5. Please provide the number of children aged 10 - 18 under local authority care
who have (same years as Q3);
i) Gone missing
ii) Had police involvement
iii) Been groomed by adults after going into LAC.
iv) Had a relationship that resulted in pregnancy.
v) Had a relationship that resulted in parenthood.
Please be advised that this information is not recorded on our central recording
database and is therefore not readily available.
In order for us to provide information in answer to this question, we would be required to
undertake a manual
review of a substantial number individual records and files and we estimate that
compliance with your request would exceed the appropriate costs limit under Section 12
of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Therefore we are not obliged to comply with
your request.
The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and
Fees)Regulations 2004 currently sets the
appropriate costs limit at £450 which would amount to 18 hours of officer time.
Therefore please treat this response as a Refusal Notice in accordance with Section 12
of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
6. Of the children currently under LAC please provide the number of children who
have been identified by professionals as needing supportive therapy; This could
be SEN, mentally, emotionally, physically etc.
Of these children;
i) How many have successfully received the therapy recommended?
ii) How many are in receipt of the therapy recommended?
iii) How many are waiting to receive the therapy recommended?
Please be advised that this information is not recorded on our central recording
database and is therefore not readily available.
In order for us to provide information in answer to this question, we would be required to
undertake a manual
review of a substantial number individual records and files and we estimate that
compliance with your request would exceed the appropriate costs limit under Section 12
of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Therefore we are not obliged to comply with
your request.
The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and
Fees)Regulations 2004 currently sets the
appropriate costs limit at £450 which would amount to 18 hours of officer time.
Therefore please treat this response as a Refusal Notice in accordance with Section 12
of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
7) Finally, can you please provide statistics/documentation and evidence for the
educational outcomes for all children under local authority care?
Please be advised that this information is already in the public domain and can be
obtained by using the Department for Education's Local Authority Intercative Tool:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait
Therefore we have applied an exemption under Section 21(2)(b) of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (information accessible by other means). This exemption applies
because the Council has provided you with a link to the information which it considers
makes this information reasonably accessible to you by other means.
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 letter and should be addressed to:
Information Management
Shire Hall
Warwick
CV34 4RL
xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
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:
The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Phone: 0303 123 1113
Website: www.ico.gov.uk
I will now close your request as of this date.
Yours faithfully
Jonathan Sheward
Information Rights Officer