EHE Budget
Dear Staffordshire County Council,
I would like to see the budget allocated, as part of the original contract between Staffordshire CC and ENTRUST, for Elective Home Educated services. Please note, I understand that the contract is in the process of being rewritten.
Would you provide a breakdown of the budget that was allocated to a) support and advice b) visits to families and c) funds for the purpose of responding to s437 of the Education Act 1996 enquiries.
Since the original contract between Staffordshire CC and ENTRUST states that families were to receive a 'statutory annual visit', would you identify how individual EHE officers were paid for fulfilling that aspect of the contract? Was this as a payment per contact with individual home educating families?
(https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/2...)
If EHE officers were paid per visit, were the payments differentiated based on whether an EHE officer a) met with a family b) arranged to meet but did not see the family c) received information in another way. If payments were differentiated in such a way, would you provide me with the amounts paid, depending on whether families met with an HE officer or not.
Would you also provide details of the training budget for EHE officers and advise me how the training is provided? Do officers receive training through Continued Professional Development? Is this provided by the West Midlands EHE officers regional forum? Does Staffordshire County Council or ENTRUST provide training beyond what is provided by the forum? Would you provide details of the subjects studied?
Yours faithfully,
Jane Pointon
Dear Staffordshire County Council,
To clarify. I have assumed that the West Midlands Regional Forum is run on behalf of ENTRUST. In a previous FOI, Staffordshire CC has stated the forum is not run on their behalf and that emails made by ENTRUST officers were not made on their behalf. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/e...
I am, therefore, assuming that Staffordshire LA has no involvement with The Regional Forum and that all forum undertakings are made without the authority or oversite of Staffordshire CC. Would you please confirm whether or not this is the case. I am asking, as it would appear you may not be able to respond to part of my FOI.
Yours faithfully,
Jane Pointon
Dear Staffordshire County Council,
Apologies, in my follow up I wrote 'oversite' when I meant 'oversight'
Yours faithfully,
Jane Pointon
Dear Ms Pointon,
Thank you for your request for information.
As you are aware, the Service Delivery Agreement between Staffordshire County Council and Entrust includes provision of services for Elective Home Education (EHE). EHE is a service which supports and implements the customer’s statutory duty to ensure identification of Children and Young People (CYP) who are not in receipt of suitable education including Gypsy Roma Traveller families.
For the 2014/15 financial year this is budgeted at £99,050 and is not broken down further or allocated to the areas identified by your FOI request. The Agreement is not prescriptive about either the payment arrangements or training requirements for EHE Officers, and both are matters for Entrust to manage appropriately. The Agreement does however require Entrust to provide services by use of appropriately qualified individuals, with reasonable skill and care and to the highest professional standards expected, and in accordance with good industry practice and relevant law.
Further to you query regarding the West Midlands Regional Forum, I can confirm that Staffordshire County Council does not have any involvement.
If you have any queries or require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.
In the first instance if you have any comments relating to how your request has been handled by our authority, please write to Lian Stibbs, Access Manager, Information Governance Unit, Staffordshire County Council, Wedgwood Building, Block A, Tipping Street, Stafford, ST16 2DH.
If you have any further comments relating to how your request has been handled by our authority, please contact the Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Many Thanks
Gemma Allen
Access to Information Officer
Information Governance Unit
Staffordshire County Council
Staffordshire Place
c/o Wedgwood Building - Block A
Tipping Street, Stafford
ST16 2DH
Tel: 01785 278568
[email address]
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