SEN Direct Payments

The request was successful.

Dear Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council,

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, could you please
provide details of:

(i) the number of direct payments for special educational needs granted under the SEN (Direct Payments) (Pilot Order) 2012.

(Ii) details of what types of provision these payments were awarded for

(iii) the number of requests refused and the reasons for the refusals (including head teachers refusing consent)

(iv) copies of any block funding contracts with health service providers for special educational needs provision

Yours faithfully,"

E Doherty

Information Governance (Social Care & Performance), Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council

Dear E Doherty
 
Freedom of Information request – Ref 4509
 
Thank you for your enclosed request for information which we received
yesterday.  Your request is being considered under the terms of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and we will aim to provide you
with a response by 31 July 2013.
 
For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions which may
prevent release of the information you have requested. If this is the case
you will be advised of any considerations, subsequent decisions and your
rights of appeal. There may also be a fee payable for this information,
this will be considered and you will be informed if a fee is payable.
 
You will be free to copy, distribute, transmit, adapt or otherwise exploit
any information disclosed to you providing to you that you do so in
accordance with the conditions which can be found on the council’s website
[1]http://www.solihull.gov.uk/about/copyrig....
 
Advice on the Freedom of Information Act is available from the Information
Commissioners Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9
5AF, telephone: 01625 545 700, website: [2]http://www.ico.gov.uk.
 
Yours sincerely
 
Beverley Haywood
Management Assistant (PA to Ian Ash)
Corporate Performance, Policy and Information Division
Business Transformation Directorate
Solihull MBC
 
Tel: 0121 704 6666
Email: [3][email address]
[4]www.solihull.gov.uk
 
 

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Haywood, Beverley (Business Transformation Directorate - Solihull MBC), Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council

Dear E Doherty

 

Re: FOI Request Reference Number 4509

 

Apologies for the delay in responding to your request for information as
detailed below, our response is given in blue:

 

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, could you please provide
details of:

 

(i)                  the number of direct payments for special educational
needs granted under the SEN (Direct Payments) (Pilot Order) 2012.

 

Solihull provides a personal budget for all children and young people who
are subject to a completed Education, Health and Care Plan under the SEND
Pathfinder programme.  The personal budget provides a comprehensive
breakdown of all expenditure relating to education, health, care and
associated services.  Families are given the option of a direct or third
party direct payment for all provisions except the base funding of an
educational placement as set out in the school funding reform guidance and
any services that are currently subject to block contracts. To-date, no
pathfinder family has accepted a direct payment for educational provision,
making it clear that they think this is the responsibility of the LA and
school to arrange.  However, they do express strong preferences for the
provision they require and expect us to secure this on their behalf. 
However, some non-pathfinder families have received direct payments under
the provisions within their child’s Statement of SEN, which includes
provision for therapies. 

 

(ii)                details of what types of provision these payments were
awarded for

 

See response to (i)

 

(iii)               the number of requests refused and the reasons for the
refusals (including head teachers refusing consent)

 

The Local Authority has not refused any requests for a direct payment and
take a view that Headteacher’s consent is not required for pupil led
funding, the use of which can be specified within the plan.

 

(iv)              copies of any block funding contracts with health
service providers for special educational needs provision

 

The Local Authority does not have ownership of any block contracts
commissioned by the health authority or Clinical Commissioning Group and
is, therefore, not able to supply copies.  We advise that any request for
health information is made directly to that authority.

 

However, Solihull Council has contracts for the following services with
health service providers which are potentially relevant to children and
young people with special educational needs:

 

Heart of England Foundation Trust:

·         Speech and language therapy for vulnerable 2 year olds

·         LAATCH emotional well-being services for Looked After Children

·         Parenting Programmes

 

Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust

·         Community psychiatric nurses in children’s centres

 

We have recently changed our contracts to include notification that
contract details including financial information may be released under
Freedom of Information legislation, however at this point we would need to
contact the two providers as a matter of courtesy before releasing service
specifications and costs. If this further information is required please
confirm.

You may copy, distribute, transmit, adapt or otherwise exploit any
information disclosed to you providing to you that you do so in accordance
with the conditions which can be found on the council’s website
[1]http://www.solihull.gov.uk/about/copyrig....

I hope this information is of interest and assistance.  If however you are
dissatisfied with the response you have received and wish to request a
review of our decision or make a complaint about how your request has been
handled you should write to the Corporate Information Governance Manager,
Corporate Performance, Policy and Information, Business Transformation
Directorate, Council House, Manor Walk, Solihull, West Midlands B91 3QB or
email [2][Solihull Borough Council request email].

Your request for an internal review should be submitted to us within 40
days of receipt by you of this response. Any requests received after this
time will be considered at the discretion of the Corporate Information
Governance Manager.

If having exhausted the review process you are not content that your
request or review has been dealt with correctly, you have a further right
of appeal to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for a decision. 
Generally, the ICO will not make a decision until you have exhausted the
complaints procedure provided by the council.  The Information
Commissioner can be contacted at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone: 01625 545 700, website:
[3]http://www.ico.gov.uk.

 

Should you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact
me.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Beverley Haywood

Management Assistant (PA to Ian Ash)

Corporate Performance, Policy and Information Division

Business Transformation Directorate

Solihull MBC

 

Tel: 0121 704 6666

Email: [4][email address]

[5]www.solihull.gov.uk

 

 

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References

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5. http://www.solihull.gov.uk/