Looked After Children in Unregulated Accommodation

The request was successful.

Dear Northumberland County Council,

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?

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

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)?

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?

Thank you so much.

Yours faithfully,

Oliver Knowles

Northumberland County Council

1 Attachment

Our Ref: 12284  

Dear Mr Knowles,

INFORMATION REQUEST

Thank you for your request for information which will be dealt with under
the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case, we
will let you know the likely charges before proceeding.

If you have any queries about this matter please contact us. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Kind regards,

Julia

Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 2EF

Tel: 0345 600 6400
Email: [Northumberland County Council request email]
Web: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk

foi children, Northumberland County Council

Our Ref: 12284

Dear Enquirer, 

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST 

 

I refer to your Freedom of Information request in relation to looked after
children aged below 16 who have been housed in unregulated accommodation. 

 

Right of Access 

 

Section 1(1) of the Act provides any person making a request for
information to a public authority is entitled. 

 

(a) to be informed in writing by the public authority whether it holds
information of the description specified in the request (which Section
1(6) of the Act designates as the "duty to confirm or deny"), and 

 

(b) if that is the case, to have that information communicated to him. 

 

The right is to obtain access to the information itself and not to the
document or record which contains it. 

 

The Act creates a general right of access to information held by public
authorities subject to various exemptions. 

 

Northumberland County Council confirms that it holds the information you
have requested, please see the following information in response. 

 

Q.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?  
11 
 

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

 
Q.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)? 
243 days 
 
Q.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? 
Support costs are not recorded in a way which would allow a split to be
made between under 16's and over 16's 

 

Complaints 

 

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been
handled, you can request an internal review by writing within 2 months
from the date of this response to the Information Governance Office: 

 

Information Governance Office, Northumberland County Council, County Hall,
Morpeth, NE61 2EF 

Email: [Northumberland County Council request email] 

 

Information Commissioner 

 

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have a
right by Section 50 of the Act to apply to the Information Commissioner
for a decision as to whether your request has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act at: 

 

The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF 

Tel: 0303 123 1113, Email: [email address

 

There is no charge for making an appeal. 

 

Yours faithfully, 

 

FOI Coordinator - 

Information Governance Office 

Northumberland County Council 

County Hall 

Morpeth 

Northumberland 

NE61 2EF 

 

Tel: 0345 600 6400 

Email: [Northumberland County Council request email] 

Web: [1]http://www.northumberland.gov.uk 

 
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Dear foi children,

Thanks so much.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Knowles