Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA

Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]

NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. If
you have a processing request, please ensure you quote that reference in
your emails to us.

DEAR Oliver Knowles

Freedom of information request - FOI/7482

Subject: Looked After Children in Unregulated Accommodation

Your request is being considered and you will receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days, subject to the application of
any exemptions. Where consideration is being given to exemptions the 20
working day timescale may be extended to a period considered reasonable
depending on the nature and circumstances of your request. In such cases
you will be notified and, where possible, a revised time-scale will be
indicated. In all cases we shall attempt to deal with your request at the
earliest opportunity.

If we are unable to provide you with the information requested we will
notify you of this together with the reason(s) why, and details of how you
may appeal.

Please note that the directorate team may contact you for further
information where we believe that the request is not significantly clear
for us to respond fully. 

Kind Regard

Information Management Team

Croydon Digital Services

Assistant Chief Executive Directorate

7th Floor, Zone B

Bernard Weatherill House

8 Mint Walk

Croydon CR0 1EA

Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA

Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]

Dear Oliver Knowles

Request FOI/7482

Freedom of Information Request

Your request has been considered under the provisions of the Freedom of
Information Act. Please accept our apologies for the lengthy delay in
responding to you. Specifically, you have requested the following
information:

I'm interested in information about the councils looked after children
aged below 16 who have been housed in unregulated accommodation. Please
could you kindly answer these following questions.

1. On how many separate occasions over the past 12 months (March 2022 -
March 2023) have you needed to house any of your looked after children
(under the age of 16) in (short term emergency) unregulated (not regulated
by OFSTED) accommodation?

The Council can confirm it does hold this information, however, the
Council considers that individuals could potentially be identified from
the very low numbers (less than 5) and that such identification would
constitute a breach of one of the principles set out in the Data
Protection Act 1998 and is therefore exempt under section 40(2) of the
Act.

It is important to remember that when information is released under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000, it is considered released to the wider
public.  Any such disclosure of personal information would not be
compliant with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulations
2018.

2. Referring to Question 1, how many separate children or young people
(under the age of 16) did that relate to?

Please see answer above.

3. How many days in total were your children and young people (under the
age of 16) housed in unregulated accommodation over the past 12 months
(March 2022 - March 2023)?

On Average this was 103 days. Based on the FY 2022-23.

4. What was your total spend on support agencies over the past 12 months
(March 2022 - March 2023) to cover the support costs of supporting your
children and young people (aged under 16) who were housed unregulated
accommodation?

Based on data recorded on ContrOCC (Children’s Social Care financial
system), the spend on Semi-independent placement for the FY 2022-23

£1273205.64

The Council publishes Access to Information requests and responses on its
online Disclosure Log. (Any request included within this log will be
anonymised appropriately)

To view the Council’s Disclosure Log, please visit our website available
here:

[1]The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act | Croydon Council
(disclosure-log.co.uk)

If you are dissatisfied with the way the Council has handled your request
under the Freedom of Information Act you may ask for an internal review. 
This should be submitted to us within 40 working days of this response. 
You can do this by outlining the details of your complaint by:

Email:        [Croydon Borough Council request email]

Writing:     Information Team

London Borough of Croydon
Bernard Weatherill House
3^rd Floor - Zone E
8 Mint Walk
Croydon CR0 1EA

Any requests received after the 40 working day time limit will be
considered only at the discretion of the council.

If you are not content with the outcome of the 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

Yours sincerely 

Croydon Council

References

Visible links
1. https://croydon.disclosure-log.co.uk/