Mao's China / Stalin's Russia - Destroying families where parents complain.

Sophie Rises made this Freedom of Information request to City of London Corporation This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

The request was successful.

Dear Common Council of the City of London,

Reported across mainstream media is Lord Justice's Outrage at how social workers are destroying loving families. The Daily mail article is reproduced below:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...

It states:

"Social workers behaved like officials in 'Stalin's Russia or Mao's China' in attempting to remove children from loving mothers, senior judges have said."

In researching whether Social Workers are behaving like something out of Mao's China or Stalin's Russia I ask the following information:

1. Since April 2009 How many parents made complaints regarding your Children and Family Services?

2. Of the complainants identified in question 1. how many of them were:

a. Subject to Care Proceedings prior to making a complaint
b. Became subject to Care Proceedings subsequent to making a
complaint within 28 days of making the complaint.
c. Became subject to Care Proceedings after the complaint had been resolved.

3. Of the complainants identified in question 2b. How many
applications for a s31 Order were made in the County Court (rather than the magistrate Court eg. due to complexity)

4. Of the complainants identified in 3. how many had NOT been convicted of a crime against their children which would have resulted in an automatic bar from working with children in accordance with the regulations of the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

http://www.unlock.org.uk/userfiles/file/...

5. Of those complainants identified in 4. how many had children with 'unremarkable' health assessments ie. where the children's health and development was in line with expectation for their age.

6. Of those complainants identified in 5. How many were refused assessment with their children in a Residential Assessment Centre or with a psychologist under s38.6 of the Children Act 1989?

7. Of the children of the complainants identified in 6. How many became subject to a S31 Order?

8. Of the children identified in question 7 how many became subject to a permanent placement order?

9. Of the children identified in question 8. how many times had the social worker who commenced care proceedings met the children before commencing care proceedings?

Yours faithfully,

Sophie Rises

COL - EB - Information Officer, City of London Corporation

Dear Ms Rises,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 (FOIA) - INFORMATION REQUEST

The City of London (CoL) acknowledges receipt of your request for
information of 24 January 2011 (your second of that date).

Public authorities are required to respond to requests within the
statutory timescale of 20 working days beginning from the first working
day after they receive a request. The Act does not always require public
authorities to disclose the information which they hold.

The FOIA applies to the CoL as a local authority, police authority and
port health authority. The CoL is the local and police authority for the
"Square Mile", ie the historic City of London, and not for London as a
whole. Please see the following link to a map on the CoL's website, which
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[1]www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/maps/boundary_map.htm.
The CoL's port health authority functions extend beyond the City boundary.
For further information please see:
[2]www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/porthealth.

Yours sincerely,

Information Officer
City of London
Tel: 020-7332 1209
[3]www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

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FOI, DCS, City of London Corporation

Dear Ms Rises,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST

Following receipt of your request for information on 24^th January 2011,
and our acknowledgement of 25^th January 2011, the City of London (CoL)
responds as follows.

1. Since April 2009 How many parents made complaints regarding your
Children and
Family Services? Four

2. Of the complainants identified in question 1. how many of them
were:

a. Subject to Care Proceedings prior to making a complaint
b. Became subject to Care Proceedings subsequent to making a
complaint within 28 days of making the complaint.
c. Became subject to Care Proceedings after the complaint had been
resolved. None

3. Of the complainants identified in question 2b. How many
applications for a s31 Order were made in the County Court (rather
than the magistrate Court eg. due to complexity) N/A

4. Of the complainants identified in 3. how many had NOT been
convicted of a crime against their children which would have
resulted in an automatic bar from working with children in
accordance with the regulations of the Independent Safeguarding
Authority. N/A

5. Of those complainants identified in 4. how many had children
with 'unremarkable' health assessments ie. where the children's
health and development was in line with expectation for their age.
N/A

6. Of those complainants identified in 5. How many were refused
assessment with their children in a Residential Assessment Centre
or with a psychologist under s38.6 of the Children Act 1989? N/A

7. Of the children of the complainants identified in 6. How many
became subject to a S31 Order? N/A

8. Of the children identified in question 7 how many became subject
to a permanent placement order? N/A

9. Of the children identified in question 8. how many times had the
social worker who commenced care proceedings met the children
before commencing care proceedings? N/A

Please note that the City (the "Square Mile") has a small resident
population of only about 8,000 people.

We hope that this assists.

If you wish to make a complaint about the way the CoL has handled your
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For a link to the CoL's FOI complaints procedure, please visit the
following page: [1]www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Feedback, at the end of which
is located the FOI complaints procedure. If, having used the CoL's FOI
Complaints Procedure, you are still dissatisfied, you may request the
Information Commissioner to investigate. Please contact: Information
Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Telephone: (01625) 545700. Website: [2]http://www.ico.gov.uk/.

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reporting, subject to an acknowledgement of the copyright owner.

Yours sincerely

Department of Community and Children's Services
020 7332 1638
[3]www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

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