Dear Southern Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland),

I am writing to make a request for the following information which I am entitled to under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

This request relates to the complaints and allegations concerning foster carers under the operation of the Regional Policy and Procedure for Managing Allegations and Complaints made in respect of Foster Carers in Northern Ireland (April 2015)

The Regional Policy and Procedure for Managing Allegations and Complaints (April 2015) states “A record of all allegations and complaints must be kept by the Trust and reported annually via the Delegated Statutory Functions (DSF) reporting mechanism.”

Also, the UK Minimum Standards for Foster Care (1999) state “Management Systems are in place to collate and evaluate information on the circumstances, number, and outcome of all allegations of neglect or abuse of a child in foster care.”

In addition, Department of Health Circular (OSS) 4/2015: Statutory functions/professional oversight states “ensuring the appropriate collection, maintenance and analysis of data to monitor service provision, including the discharge of DSF, and sharing such information with the HSCB;”

Please provide a copy of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust's annual report concerning foster carers of all allegations and complaints under the Regional Policy and Procedure for Managing Allegations and Complaints (April 2015) for each of the last five years (2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19, 2017-18, 2016-17)

I would like the above information to be provided to me as an electronic copy.

If the request is too broad or unclear, I would be grateful if you could contact me as I understand under the Act you are required to advise and assist requesters. If any of the information is already in the public domain, please send it to me directly with page references or URLs when necessary.

If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please provide advice and assistance under the section 16 obligations of the Act, as to how I can refine the request.

I understand that you are required to respond to my request within 20 working days after receiving this request. I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing you have received this request.

Yours faithfully,

Alastair Scott-McKinley