Essex County Council
Schools, Children & Families Directorate PO Box 47, County Hall
Chelmsford, Essex
CM1 1YS
L S Palmer
Our ref: ECC-009541-11
request-58762-
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Your ref: N/a
Date: 14 February 2011
Dear L S Palmer
Your Freedom of Information Request:
I am pleased to enclose the following information, which I believe satisfies your
request. Your questions were:
1. Since 1 April 2009 how many applications for a Care Order have been
made by the Local Authority?
Please see attached Spreadsheet 1.
2. At the date of replying, how many children are in the care of the Local
Authority under:
a. A S31 Order
b. A S20 Order
Please see attached Spreadsheet 2.
3. How many of the applications for a Care Order made since 1 April
2009 have resulted in:
a. A Supervision Order.
b. A Care Order - Permanent Foster Care/Care Home.
c. An Adoption Order.
d. A Special Guardianship Order - placed with family.
e. No Order.
Unfortunately, given the specific information that has been requested we
would need to read each of the 511 files to answer this question. We estimate
that compliance with this part of your request would exceed the appropriate
costs limit under section 12 of the Freedom of information Act 2000. This is
currently £450. This limit is calculated 18 hours of work at a cost of £25 per
hour. This serves as a refusal notice in respect of this part of your request.
Contd.
2007-2008 Emergency Planning
Page 2
4. In relation to 3b, 3c and 3d how many of the parents had:
a. Been convicted of a criminal offence against their children
Protocol, our Social Care system, does not keep reportable data on the
Criminal procedures of the parent.
b. Had the benefit of a residential family assessment
Unfortunately, given the specific information that has been requested we
would need to read each of the 511 files to answer this question. We estimate
that compliance with this part of your request would exceed the appropriate
costs limit under section 12 of the Freedom of information Act 2000. This is
currently £450. This limit is calculated 18 hours of work at a cost of £25 per
hour. This serves as a refusal notice in respect of this part of your request.
5. In relation to 3c how many applications for freeing orders were made?
You can no longer apply for freeing – freeing was replaced by Placement
Orders under the Adoption and Children Act 2002.
6. In relation to question 1, how many of the parents had made an official
complaint against children's services prior to the commencement of
care proceedings?
Unfortunately, given the specific information that has been requested we
would need to read each of the 511 files to answer this question. We estimate
that compliance with this part of your request would exceed the appropriate
costs limit under section 12 of the Freedom of information Act 2000. This is
currently £450. This limit is calculated 18 hours of work at a cost of £25 per
hour. This serves as a refusal notice in respect of this part of your request.
You may reuse all or part of this information free of charge in any format or
medium. You must reuse it accurately and not in a misleading context.
Please contact me if you would like further advice or assistance about your
request or your right to access information held by Essex County Council.
If you are not satisfied with my response to your request, please let me know. If I
am unable to resolve the issue immediately, I will explain our complaints
procedure. If, after following our complaints procedure, you are still not satisfied,
you are entitled to ask the Information Commissioner to review our decision. You
can contact him at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF,
telephone 01625 545700.
Yours sincerely
Lauri Almond
Information Governance Officer
Schools, Children and Families
Essex County Council
Telephone: 08457 430430