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

Contact: Information Team
[email address]

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 Tay Jiva MBE

Freedom of information request - FOI/11888

Subject: Freedom of Information request - Muslim and Pakistani children
receiving social care support

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
[email address]

Dear Tay Jiva MBE

Request FOI/11888

Freedom of Information Request

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

I am writing to request the following information under the Freedom of
Information Act.
Specifically, I would like the data for the year 2024 (from January 1st to
December 31st), as broken down in the points below.

Information for some of the questions below has been withheld. This
information is exempt under section 40(2) of the Act. Where the number is
5 or less, the Council has replaced the figure with ‘equal to or less than
5’ (≤5). The numbers have been withheld to prevent individuals being
identified; this is in line with the Information Commissioners guidance of
anonymization, which mitigates the risk of individuals being identified.

The Council considers that individuals could potentially be identified
from the very low numbers and that such identification would constitute a
breach of one of the principles set out in the Data Protection Act 1998.

1. The total number of children who were given a custodial (youth justice)
sentence (including remand). – 6.
2. Of those in number 1, how many are Muslim? - ≤5
3. Of those in number 1, how many are Pakistani? -≤5
4. Of those in number 3, how many are from dual-heritage families? - ≤5
5. Of those in number 4, how many are from families where the father is
Pakistani? - ≤5
6. The total number of children who were placed into adoptive homes. – 8
currently placed for adoption.
7. Of those in question 6, how many children were Muslim. - ≤5
8. Of those in question 6, how many children are Pakistani. - ≤5
9. Of those in number 8, how many are from dual-heritage families? - ≤5
10. Of those in number 9, how many are from families where the father is
Pakistani? - ≤5
11. Of those in question 7, how many were placed with non-Muslim adopters
(if there were two adopters, neither of them were Muslim)? -  ≤5
12. The total number of children who were placed into childrens homes
(either for the first time, repeated times or continuing from the previous
year - each child is only counted once). – 53 (K1 & K2 placement)
13. Of those counted in question 12, how many were Muslim children? - ≤5
14. Of those counted in question 12, how many were Pakistani children? -
≤5
15. Of those in number 14, how many are from dual-heritage families? - ≤5
16. Of those in number 15, how many are from families where the father is
Pakistani? - ≤5
17. The total number of children who were placed into fostering homes
(either for the first time, repeated times or continuing from the previous
year - each child is only counted once). – 488 all foster placements
18. Of those in question 17, how many children were Muslim. – 62 based on
those with available information only.
19. Of those in question 17, how many children are Pakistani. – 9 based on
those with available information only.
20. Of those in number 19, how many are from dual-heritage families? - ≤5
21. Of those in number 20, how many are from families where the father is
Pakistani? - ≤5
22. Of those in question 18, how many were placed with non-Muslim foster
homes (if there are two foster carers, neither of them are Muslim) for any
period of time? - ≤5
23. The total number of children subject to child protection arrangements
(but haven"t been counted in any of the questions above). - 607
24. The number of children of question 23 that are Muslim – 18 based on
those with available information only.
25. The number of children of question 23 that are Pakistani – 10 based on
those with available information only.
26. Of those in number 25, how many are from dual-heritage families? - ≤5
27. Of those in number 26, how many are from families where the father is
Pakistani? - ≤5
28. The total number of children receiving support under child in need
arrangements in 2024. Again, please ensure that this does not include any
children counted in the points above. – 6578 (open referral anytime 1^st
Jan 2024 and 31/12/24 excludes above counts)
29. Of those counted in point 28, how many are Muslim? – 301 based on
those with available information only.
30. Of those counted in point 28, how many are Pakistani? – 174 based on
those with available information only.
31. Of those in number 30, how many are from dual-heritage families? - We
don’t record this level of data on our systems in a way that it can be
reported or retrieved by way of a reasonable search in the relevant
electronic databases.  In order to provide this information the Council
would need to undertake a specific piece of work which would exceed the
appropriate limit.  The Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate
Limit) Regulations 2004 specifies an “appropriate limit” for the amount of
time the council needs to spend undertaking that search.  If the council
estimates that the time taken to locate, retrieve and extract the
information requested will exceed the appropriate limit, then under
Section 12 of the Act, it is not obliged to comply with that request.

The appropriate limit currently specified by the Regulations for local
authorities is £450. This represents the estimated cost of one person
spending two and a half working days in locating, retrieving and
extracting the information from where it is stored.  We estimate that the
cumulative time it would take officers to retrieve the complete records
you are seeking would exceed the appropriate limit. Therefore, we are
unable to disclose the information you are seeking.
32. Of those in number 31, how many are from families where the father is
Pakistani? – Please see answer to question 31.

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:        [email address]

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/