Missing Looked After Children

Dear Elijah Mikaelson,

Information Access Request - Information Request DMBCIR:31513
Description : Missing Looked After Children

I acknowledge your request for information received on 2023-05-15
09:31:00.

Your request is being considered and you will receive the information
requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days (Freedom of
Information Act 2000/Environmental Information Regulations) or 1 month
from receipt (Data Protection access requests).

For your information, the Acts and Regulations define a number of
exemptions which may prevent release of the information you have
requested. There will be an assessment and if any of the exemption
categories apply then the information may not be released. In some
circumstances the decision to release information, or not, will be based
on a public interest test. You will be advised of any considerations,
subsequent decisions and your rights of appeal.

If the information you request contains reference to a third party then
they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or not to
release the information to you. You will be informed if this is the case,
including your rights of appeal.

Unless otherwise requested the information may be provided in electronic
format, paper copy, normal font size. If you require alternative formats,
e.g. language, audio, large print, etc. then please let me know.

There may be a fee payable for this information. This will be considered
and you will be informed if a fee is payable. In this event the fee must
be paid before the information is processed and released. The time limit
for responses is suspended until receipt of the payment.

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact the Information
Governance Officer at Dudley MBC, The Council House, Dudley, West
Midlands, DY1 1HF, telephone 0300 555 8283, e-mail
[Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council request email] .

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

Most of the information that we provide in response to Freedom of
Information/Environmental Information requests will be subject to
copyright protection. In most cases the copyright will be owned by Dudley
MBC. The copyright in other information may be owned by another person or
organisation, as indicated in the information itself. You are free to use
any information supplied for your own use, including for non-commercial
research purposes. The information may also be used for the purposes of
news reporting. However, any other type of re-use, for example, by
publishing the information or issuing copies to the public will require
the permission of the copyright owner.

For information where the copyright is owned by the Council details of the
conditions on re-use can be found on our website at www.dudley.gov.uk.

For information where the copyright is owned by another person or
organisation, you must apply to the copyright owner to obtain their
permission.

Yours sincerely,

The Information Governance Team
Council House
Priory Road
Dudley
West Midlands
DY1 1HF
[Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council request email]

  [2]Residents

Corporate Information Governance Team

3/5 St James’s Road, Dudley West Midlands. DY1 1HP

Tel: (01384) 815607 Fax: (01384) 815660

Email:[Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council request email]

[1]www.dudley.gov.uk

 
Our ref: 31513 Direct Line: 01384 86956 Date: 09/06/2023

Dear ,

Freedom of Information Act 2000 - Information Request 31513

I acknowledge your request for information received on 15/05/2023. In
accordance with Section 1 (1), (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000,
I can confirm that we hold the information requested. Our response is as
follows.

Your Request and Our Response

1. What is the current number of looked-after children who are missing
from your local authority?
Less than 10
2. Could you provide information on the duration of each missing child's
absence as of the date of this request?
1 day, 3 days
3. Among the looked after children currently missing, how many have been
absent for more than 28 days?
0
4. Of the looked after children who are currently missing, how many are
believed to have absconded?
Less than 10
5. How many of the currently missing looked after children are suspected
to have been abducted or involved with a third party?
0
6. Of the looked after children who are missing, how many are missing from
foster homes in comparison to secure units, children's homes and other
local authority provisions?
0

Where there are ten or less records, this information is anonymised as
specific numbers may identify an individual person.

This is because the information you have requested is exempt from
disclosure under provisions of the Act.

The exemption applied is Section 40(2) by virtue of section 40(3)(A)(i) of
the Freedom of Information Act  i.e. it is personal information of a
living individual, where the disclosure would be in breach of the first
principle of the General Data Protection Regulation Article 5,1(a).

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 this letter acts as
a partial Refusal Notice.

If this does not answer your question, then you may submit a further
request; it would be helpful if you could refine your request so that we
can advise what may be provided under the Freedom of Information Act and
any cost implications.

If you do have difficulty in accessing the information please contact
Dudley Council Plus on 0300 555 2345 who will be able to assist you.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your
request and wish to make a comment or complaint, or request a review of
the decision, you should write to the Freedom of Information Officer at
Dudley MBC, The Council House, Dudley, West Midlands, DY1 1HF, telephone
0300 555 2345, e-mail [3][Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council request email]. 

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision.  Generally, the
ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints
procedure provided by Dudley MBC.

The Information Commissioner may be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow 

Cheshire 

SK9 5AF

Telephone:   0303 123 1113

[4]www.ico.org.uk

Most of the information that we provide in response to Freedom of
Information Act 2000 requests will be subject to copyright protection.  In
most cases the copyright will be owned by Dudley MBC.  The copyright in
other information may be owned by another person or organisation, as
indicated in the information itself.  You are free to use any information
supplied for your own use, including for non-commercial research
purposes.  The information may also be used for the purposes of news
reporting.  However, any other type of re-use, for example, by publishing
the information or issuing copies to the public will require the
permission of the copyright owner.

For information where the copyright is owned by the Council details of
the conditions on re-use can be found on our website at
[5]www.dudley.gov.uk.

For information where the copyright is owned by another person or
organisation, you must apply to the copyright owner to obtain their
permission.

Yours sincerely,

Raj Singh
Information Governance Officer

Corporate Information Governance
Finance & Legal
Dudley Council 
3-5 St James's Road, Dudley, DY1 1HZ
01384 816956
[6]www.dudley.gov.uk

This Email and any attachments contains confidential information and is
intended solely for the individual to whom it is addressed. If this Email
has been misdirected, please notify the author as soon as possible. If
this email has a protective marking of OFFICIAL – SENSITIVE, PROTECT or
RESTRICTED in its title or contents, the information within must be
subject to appropriate safeguards to protect against unauthorised or
unlawful processing and against accidental loss or destruction or damage.
OFFICIAL – SENSITIVE, PROTECT and RESTRICTED information should only be
further shared where there is a legitimate need. If you are not the
intended recipient you must not disclose, distribute, copy, print or rely
on any of the information contained, and all copies must be deleted
immediately. Whilst we take reasonable steps to try to identify any
software viruses, any attachments to this e-mail may nevertheless contain
viruses which our anti- virus software has failed to identify. You should
therefore carry out your own anti-virus checks before opening any
documents. The author will not accept any liability for damage caused by
computer viruses emanating from any attachment or other document supplied
with this e-mail.

Please consider the environment - do you need to print this e-mail?

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dudley.gov.uk/
3. mailto:[Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council request email]
4. http://www.ico.org.uk/
5. http://www.dudley.gov.uk/
6. Open Dudley MBC website
https://www.dudley.gov.uk/