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Direct payments and personal budgets

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Dear Bexley Borough Council,

Under the Freedom of Information Act:

1.Please provide a copy of your policy regarding the trialling of SEN Direct Payments and personal budgets.

2.Please confirm whether all parents/carers issued with a new or amended statement since January 2012 have been informed about their right to apply for a Direct Payment for SEN provision under the Special Educational Needs (Direct Payments) (Pilot Scheme) Order 2012. How has this information been provided? Please provide a copy of any standard leaflet or letter issued together with confirmation of the date of issue.

3.Please confirm the number of parents/carers who are receiving SEN Direct Payments and what those Direct Payments relate to.

4.Please confirm whether any of these SEN Direct Payments could be provided outside the Pathfinder project, e.g. payments under Part 6 of a statement for transport.

5.Please provide a copy of your policy for considering requests for direct payments for SEN provision. If you do not have a policy, please confirm whether there are any limits placed on direct payments applications, e.g. they will not be provided if the LA has a block contract or there is a financial limit. Please confirm whether these criteria are communicated to parents and provide a copy of that document .

6.Please confirm your arrangements for reviewing appeals against a refusal of a request for SEN Direct Payments. Please provide a copy of any policy and any leaflet/letter issued to parents explaining this.

7.Please confirm what information is provided to parents/carers about the trialling of personal budgets. Please provide a copy of any leaflet or letter issued.

8.Please confirm how many parents/carers are receiving a personal budget within the auspices of the Pathfinder project?

9.Please confirm how parents/carers in receipt of SEN Direct Payments/ personal budgets obtained the information to make an application. For example, were they:

(a) sent the information with a new or amended statement
(b) recruited as part of a specific pilot
(c) neither (a )or (b), the family approached the LA having heard about SEN Direct Payments/personal budgets from other sources

10.Please provide a copy of your local offer.

Yours faithfully,

Measure Up!

Ola Sunmonu, Bexley Borough Council

Information request
Our reference: 291166

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Dear Sir/Madam

Thank you for your  request received on 8 July 2013. Unfortunately, we are
unable to deal with your request for the following reason:

We believed that "Measure Up" is not your real name.  For a request to be
valid, it must be from a legal entity. The Information Commissioner's
guidance states that a public authority is entitled to treat as invalid a
request where the real name of the applicant (whether an individual or a
corporate body) has not been used. 

To be able to process your request, could you let me have your real name.

Regards,

Ola Sunmonu

Complaints and Freedom of Information Support Officer
Civic Offices, Broadway, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA6 7LB
Tel: 0203 045 4333
Email: [email address]
www.bexley.gov.uk

Dear Ola Sunmonu,
Dear Sir/Madam,

We are a voluntary organisation and entitled to request information in our own name.

You will note the guidance from the ICO website which confirms:

Remember that a request can be made in the name of an organisation, or by one person on behalf of another, such as a solicitor on behalf of a client;

Please proceed with our request.

Yours sincerely,

Measure Up!

Ola Sunmonu, Bexley Borough Council

Information request
Our reference: 291166

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Dear Measure Up!
A voluntary organisation is entitled to request for information and can
make this in their name but I have not seen anything to confirm your legal
status.  Are you able to provide a contact name?
Regards,

Ola Sunmonu
Complaints and Freedom of Information Support Officer
Civic Offices, Broadway, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA6 7LB
Tel: 0203 045 4333
Email: [email address]
www.bexley.gov.uk

Dear Ola Sunmonu,

Please reference the section of the FOIA which confirms an organisational applicant has to provide evidence of their legal status!

In any event, what evidence do you suggest voluntary organisations would have? Many voluntary organisations do not even have a constitution and there is no legal obligation on them to do so. We, however, do have a constitution but I see no legal reason why we must share that internal document with you.

If you wish to contact us on [email address], please do so.

Yours sincerely,

Measure Up!

Christine Tungatt, Bexley Borough Council

Information request
Our reference: 291166

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Dear Sir/Madam
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Thank you for your request for information that was received on 8 July
2013 concerning the trialling of SEN Direct Payments and personal budgets.
 
We are dealing with your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
and we aim to send a response by 5 August 2013 (which is 20 working days
beginning on the first working day after the date we received your
request).
 
In some cases, a fee may be payable. If we decide a fee is payable, we
will send you a fee notice and we will require you to pay the fee before
proceeding with your request.
 
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 may restrict the release of some or
all of the information you have requested. We will carry out an assessment
and if any exemptions apply to some or all of the information then we
might not provide that information to you. We will inform you if this is
the case and advise you of your rights to request an internal review and
to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.
 
We will also advise you if we cannot provide you with the information
requested for any other reason together with the reason(s) why and details
of how you may appeal (if appropriate).
 
Regards,

Ola Sunmonu
Complaints and Freedom of Information Support Officer
Civic Offices, Broadway, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA6 7LB
Tel: 0203 045 4333
Email: [email address]
www.bexley.gov.uk

Janine Wooster, Bexley Borough Council

3 Attachments

Information request
Our reference: 291166

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Dear ‎Sir/Madam‏
 
Thank you for your request for information received on 8 July 2013.
 
 Please find attached our response to your request.
  

Regards,

Janine Wooster
Complex Needs Manager
Howbury Offices 308
Tel: 02030455025
Email: [email address]
www.bexley.gov.uk

We don't know whether the most recent response to this request contains information or not – if you are Measure Up! please sign in and let everyone know.