Re: Accessing a child who is home educated if there is a welfare (child protection) concern
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to ask whether Cheshire East Council has measures in place to see a child, even if they are home educated, if a welfare concern has been raised please.
Yours faithfully,
L Plant
Dear L Plant
Thank you for your email.
It will be treated as a request within the meaning of the Act: this means that we will send you a full response within 20 working days, either supplying you with the information which you want, or explaining to you why we cannot supply it. If we need any further clarification or there is any problem we will be in touch.
In the meantime if you wish to discuss this further please contact me. It would be helpful if you could quote the log number 800160
Yours sincerely
Rose Raine
Information and Record Management Officer
Cheshire East Council
Tel 01270 529668
www.cheshireeast.gov.uk
Dear Mr/Ms Plant
Further to your request for information about the welfare of children who are home educated, I can now respond as follows.
If a welfare concern has been raised with an Elective Home Educated child we would
(a) check if we are aware of the child
(b) if not aware, write to family and offer visit
(c) if aware of family, check records
(d) if we have no further information then we would consult with Education Welfare Service and/or Child Access Team.
The Education Welfare Service and Elective Home Education do not have the right to see the child or have access to the home but can request to if there are Child Protection concerns.
If there were Child Protection concerns, then this would be directed to the Child Access Team.
I trust this satisfies your request but if you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint or request a review, under the Freedom of Information Act, of this decision relating to your request, you should write to the Freedom of Information Officer, Cheshire East Council, Westfields, Middlewich Road, Sandbach, Cheshire, CW11 1HZ.
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 the Council. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
It would be helpful if you could quote log number 800160 in any correspondence.
Yours sincerely
Julie Gibbs
Information Officer
Cheshire East Council
Tel: 01270 529529
www.cheshireeast.gov.uk
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