A childs best interests - care arrangements

The request was successful.

Wayne Pearsall

Dear Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council,

I am writing to request a copy of any policy documents / training materials which raise awareness / the principles which you take into consideration when assessing the care requirements for a child.

The care requirements I raise are
"who is a suitable carer"
"What might make an unsuitable carer"
"when you deem it suitable to remove a child from their parent"
"is it in the childs best interest to remove a child from their mother"
"is it in the childs best interest to remove a child from their father"
"mental health implications of removing a child from the stablity of their home life"

(note: this is not a full list of my requested information, but just to highlight the type of information I am requesting.)

Specifically, I want to know:
1) If the parents are "fit" to care for a child... is it in the child's best interests to remove the parents from the child's life
2) Is it in the chld's best interest to alter a child's current living situation if it is not necessary...
3) What implications on a child's health can arise from changes to a childs home environment.

Yours faithfully,

Wayne Pearsall

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Thank you for contacting Sandwell Council.

Your request has been passed to the relevant service area, who will contact you shortly.

Please quote your reference number INT1-318599454 on all future correspondence.

Regards

Corporate Contact Centre
Customer Services
Transform Sandwell

www.sandwell.gov.uk

-----Original Message-----
From: [FOI #160748 email]
Sent: 09/05/2013 12:46:51
Subject: Freedom of Information request - A childs best interests - care arrangements

Dear Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council,

I am writing to request a copy of any policy documents / training
materials which raise awareness / the principles which you take
into consideration when assessing the care requirements for a
child.

The care requirements I raise are
"who is a suitable carer"
"What might make an unsuitable carer"
"when you deem it suitable to remove a child from their parent"
"is it in the childs best interest to remove a child from their
mother"
"is it in the childs best interest to remove a child from their
father"
"mental health implications of removing a child from the stablity
of their home life"

(note: this is not a full list of my requested information, but
just to highlight the type of information I am requesting.)

Specifically, I want to know:
1) If the parents are "fit" to care for a child... is it in the
child's best interests to remove the parents from the child's life
2) Is it in the chld's best interest to alter a child's current
living situation if it is not necessary...
3) What implications on a child's health can arise from changes to
a childs home environment.

Yours faithfully,

Wayne Pearsall

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Is [Sandwell Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of
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so, please contact us using this form:
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Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Thank you for your enquiry.

I can advise you that your request has been passed on to the relevant service area and you will recieve a full response within 20 working days.

Please quote your reference number 1-318649054 in the subject field on all future correspondence.

Regards

Corporate Contact Centre
Customer Services
Transform Sandwell
www.sandwell.gov.uk

[THREAD ID:1-59OOX0]

-----Original Message-----

From: [FOI #160748 email]
Sent: 09/05/2013 12:46:51
To: requests at Sandwell Council [Sandwell Council request email]
Subject: Freedom of Information request - A childs best interests - care arrangements

Dear Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council,

I am writing to request a copy of any policy documents / training
materials which raise awareness / the principles which you take
into consideration when assessing the care requirements for a
child.

The care requirements I raise are
"who is a suitable carer"
"What might make an unsuitable carer"
"when you deem it suitable to remove a child from their parent"
"is it in the childs best interest to remove a child from their
mother"
"is it in the childs best interest to remove a child from their
father"
"mental health implications of removing a child from the stablity
of their home life"

(note: this is not a full list of my requested information, but
just to highlight the type of information I am requesting.)

Specifically, I want to know:
1) If the parents are "fit" to care for a child... is it in the
child's best interests to remove the parents from the child's life
2) Is it in the chld's best interest to alter a child's current
living situation if it is not necessary...
3) What implications on a child's health can arise from changes to
a childs home environment.

Yours faithfully,

Wayne Pearsall

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

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #160748 email]

Is [Sandwell Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of
Information requests to Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council? If
so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/cont...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be
published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

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.


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

hide quoted sections

Dear Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council,

Further to your response to my previous request ( https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/f... ), I would expect a copy of the CiN Assessment form to be included, along with a copy of the NRPF Human Rights Assessment form to be included along with my response to

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/a... your ref: 1-318649054

I am pretty certain that both of these documents would fall within the scope of information requested originally. If you feel not, i make a specific request for such documents.

Yours faithfully,

Wayne Pearsall

Ranjit Basrai, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Wayne Pearsall,

 

I am emailing in reference to your recent Freedom of Information request.

Due to the nature and complexity of your request, it is taking slightly
longer to pull the information together.

Would it be possible to request a five day extension? Making the deadline
for your response 14th June 2013.

If I do not hear from you by 6th June 2013, I will take it that you have
agreed to the extension of time request.

I hope to let you have a response by 14th June 2013 and will keep you
informed of any further delay.

 

 

 

R Basrai

 Customer Focus

 
[1]sandwell_mbc

Sandwell Council…working for you

 

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The information in this message must be regarded as confidential and is
intended for the addressee only unless explicitly stated. If you have
received this message in error notify the sender and delete it. Any views
or opinions expressed within this email are those of the author and may
not necessarily reflect those of Sandwell MBC and no contractual
arrangement is intended to arise from this communication. You should also
be aware that any email may be subject to a request under Data Protection,
Freedom of Information or Environmental Information legislation and
therefore could be disclosed to third parties. Please note that Sandwell
MBC cannot guarantee that this message or any attachments are virus or
malware free and have not been intercepted and amended.

References

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Dear Ranjit Basrai,

I am fine with the extension, I would like the response to be as full as possible, and I understand that my request would be complex. Thanks for letting me know.

Yours sincerely,

Wayne Pearsall

Ranjit Basrai, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

2 Attachments

 

                                                                      

 

My ref:: 1-318649054

Your ref:         [FOI #160748 email]

 

10^th June 2013

                              
                                                                                            Tel
No:       

 

Dear Mr Wayne Pearsall

 

Re: Freedom of Information request - A childs best interests - care
arrangements  

 

Thank you for your request received 9th May 2013, requesting information
under the freedom of Information Act and thank you for agreeing to an
extension of time to enable Sandwell Metropolitan Borough to respond
fully. The following information was requested:

I am writing to request a copy of any policy documents / training
materials which raise awareness / the principles which you take into
consideration when assessing the care requirements for a child.

 The care requirements I raise are:
"who is a suitable carer"
"What might make an unsuitable carer"
"when you deem it suitable to remove a child from their parent"
"is it in the child's best interest to remove a child from their mother"
"is it in the child's best interest to remove a child from their father"
"mental health implications of removing a child from the stability of
their home life"
 (note: this is not a full list of my requested information, but just to
highlight the type of information I am requesting.)

 Specifically, I want to know:

 1) If the parents are "fit" to care for a child... is it in the child's
best interests to remove the parents from the child's life

 2) Is it in the child's best interest to alter a child's current living
situation if it is not necessary...

 3) What implications on a child's health can arise from changes to a
child's home environment.

In respect of whether a child is removed from their parents, each case
would be considered on the basis of the specific circumstances and the
outcome of an assessment in respect of each individual child.  The basic
principles of the Children Act (1989) would be applied and a child would
be maintained within the family providing it is safe and in their best
interests.  If it is not safe or appropriate for a child to remain with
their parents, alternative care arrangements will be considered within the
extended family or close friends.  Again, this would be dependant upon
such care arrangements being safe and in the child’s best interests. 
Decisions about whether to remove a child from their parents are
multi-disciplinary decisions and ultimately decided by the court based on
threshold criteria as set out in the Children Act (1989). 

 

A court may only make a Care Order or Supervision Order in respect of a
child if it is satisfied that:

· The child is suffering, or is likely to suffer significant harm; and

· That the harm or likelihood of harm is attributable to a lack of
adequate parental care or control (section 31).

Under Section 31(9) of the Children Act 1989, as amended by the Adoption
and Children Act 2002: ‘Harm’ means ill treatment or the impairment of
health or development, including for example impairment suffered from
seeing or hearing the ill treatment of another; ‘Development’ means
physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development;
‘Health’ means physical or mental health; and ‘Ill treatment’ includes
sexual abuse and forms of ill treatment that are not physical.

In some cases parents may have made every effort to safeguard and care for
their child, but the child may continue to suffer or be at risk of
suffering further harm.  Decisions are made in the best interests of the
child and will consider whether the child is likely to suffer further
harm, whether the parents acknowledge the concerns and / or are likely to
make and sustain the required changes.

 

The court will also consider the Welfare Checklist as set out in The
Children Act (1989).  The welfare principle states that the child’s
welfare is the paramount consideration. The welfare checklist includes
things like the child’s wishes and feelings, their age, gender, identity
and any risk of harm.

The court will decide what order to make after considering the Local
Authority’s Statement of Evidence and Care Plan.  The Court will also
listen to the child’s and parents views via their legal representatives. 
The child will also have a Guardian appointed to represent their wishes,
views and best interests in Court.  The Court will make the least
intrusive order required to protect the child consistent with the
requirements of the Children Act (1989).

 

Throughout the legal proceedings, the order is reviewed and further
assessment, including expert assessment may be undertaken to assist the
Court in making final decisions about a child’s future.

 

In respect of "who is a suitable carer" and "What might make an unsuitable
carer"  Please find ‘Foster carers training plan’ and ‘good  carers
documents attached.

 

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
request, and should be addressed to:

 

 

Freedom of Information Unit

Sandwell Council House

Freeth Street

Oldbury

West Midlands

B69 3DE

Email – [1][Sandwell Council request email]  

 

If you are not content with the outcome of an 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

 

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

 

Yours Sincerely,

 

M Jarvis

 

 

 

 

 

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The information in this message must be regarded as confidential and is
intended for the addressee only unless explicitly stated. If you have
received this message in error notify the sender and delete it. Any views
or opinions expressed within this email are those of the author and may
not necessarily reflect those of Sandwell MBC and no contractual
arrangement is intended to arise from this communication. You should also
be aware that any email may be subject to a request under Data Protection,
Freedom of Information or Environmental Information legislation and
therefore could be disclosed to third parties. Please note that Sandwell
MBC cannot guarantee that this message or any attachments are virus or
malware free and have not been intercepted and amended.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]

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Dear Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'A childs best interests - care arrangements'.
Ref: 1-318649054

Whilst I do appreciate the response and information provided by your council. I do actually believe that further information is stored within the council on the subject that I have requested.

I am aware of the Section 17 funding, (I have previously made a request related to this) and I know that there is a Child in Need assessment form, along with a NRPF Human Rights assessment. Both of these documents would fall within the scope of my request.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/a_...

Yours faithfully,

Wayne Pearsall

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Thank you for contacting Sandwell Council.

Your request has been passed to the relevant service area, who will contact you shortly.

Please quote your reference number INT1-324339856 on all future correspondence.

Regards

Corporate Contact Centre
Customer Services
Transform Sandwell

www.sandwell.gov.uk

-----Original Message-----
From: [FOI #160748 email]
Sent: 13/06/2013 19:59:25
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - A childs best interests - care arrangements

Dear Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'A childs best interests - care arrangements'.
Ref: 1-318649054

Whilst I do appreciate the response and information provided by your council. I do actually believe that further information is stored within the council on the subject that I have requested.

I am aware of the Section 17 funding, (I have previously made a request related to this) and I know that there is a Child in Need assessment form, along with a NRPF Human Rights assessment. Both of these documents would fall within the scope of my request.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/a_...

Yours faithfully,

Wayne Pearsall

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #160748 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

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.

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Anouk Wendling, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

8 Attachments

Dear Mr Pearsall,

 

 

Please find attached Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council's response to
your request for review number 1-324496481 and the information you
requested.

 

Best regards,

 

 

Anouk Wendling

Information Governance Officer

Legal and Governance

 

[1]sandwell_mbc

Sandwell Council...working for you

 

Sandwell Council

Oldbury

West Midlands

B69 3DE

W: [2]www.sandwell.gov.uk

 

T: 0121 569 3248

E: [3][email address]

 

 

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

The information in this message must be regarded as confidential and is
intended for the addressee only unless explicitly stated. If you have
received this message in error notify the sender and delete it. Any views
or opinions expressed within this email are those of the author and may
not necessarily reflect those of Sandwell MBC and no contractual
arrangement is intended to arise from this communication. You should also
be aware that any email may be subject to a request under Data Protection,
Freedom of Information or Environmental Information legislation and
therefore could be disclosed to third parties. Please note that Sandwell
MBC cannot guarantee that this message or any attachments are virus or
malware free and have not been intercepted and amended.

References

Visible links
2. http://int.sandwell.gov.uk/
3. mailto:[email address]

hide quoted sections

Dear Anouk Wendling,

Thank you for the further information. As I said on the initial response, your information released does appear to be most useful, and this further information only goes to add to that usefulness.

I am rather disappointed that such a substantial amount of information was withheld originally. It is not like only one or two documents were withheld.

Yours sincerely,

Wayne Pearsall

Anouk Wendling, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Dear Mr Pearsall,

I am very glad you find the information disclosed useful.
I believe that, as you only stated which specific forms you required in your request for review, the staff in charge of replying to your original request did not understand your request encompassed those documents and, therefore, provided you with a more generic answer.

Please let me reassure you that it was not the Council's intention to withhold any information, and that we always take our responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 very seriously.

Yours sincerely,

Anouk Wendling
Information Governance Officer
Legal and Governance

Sandwell Council...working for you

Sandwell Council
Oldbury
West Midlands
B69 3DE
W: www.sandwell.gov.uk

T: 0121 569 3248
E: [email address]

-----Original Message-----
From: Wayne Pearsall [mailto:[FOI #160748 email]]
Sent: 17 July 2013 22:39
To: Anouk Wendling
Subject: Re: IL 1 Request for review

Dear Anouk Wendling,

Thank you for the further information. As I said on the initial response, your information released does appear to be most useful, and this further information only goes to add to that usefulness.

I am rather disappointed that such a substantial amount of information was withheld originally. It is not like only one or two documents were withheld.

Yours sincerely,

Wayne Pearsall

-----Original Message-----

Dear Mr Pearsall,

Please find attached Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council's response to
your request for review number 1-324496481 and the information you
requested.

Best regards,

Anouk Wendling

Information Governance Officer

Legal and Governance

[1]sandwell_mbc

Sandwell Council...working for you

Sandwell Council

Oldbury

West Midlands

B69 3DE

W: [2]www.sandwell.gov.uk

T: 0121 569 3248

E: [3][email address]

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #160748 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

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.

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

The information in this message must be regarded as confidential and is intended for the addressee only unless explicitly stated. If you have received this message in error notify the sender and delete it. Any views or opinions expressed within this email are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those of Sandwell MBC and no contractual arrangement is intended to arise from this communication. You should also be aware that any email may be subject to a request under Data Protection, Freedom of Information or Environmental Information legislation and therefore could be disclosed to third parties. Please note that Sandwell MBC cannot guarantee that this message or any attachments are virus or malware free and have not been intercepted and amended.

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