Services for Looked After Children (LAC)

Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to initiate a freedom of information (FOI) request about services for Looked After Children (LAC) and how they are provided. My request is as follows:

1. How many Looked after Children (“LAC”) is the local authority responsible for currently, and for each of the last five years (2014 included)?
2. How many LAC are currently placed with independent care provision?
3. How many LAC are currently placed in residential care, fostering care, other provision?
4. Currently and for each of the last 5 years, how many LAC that are in foster care:
1. Are placed in Local Authority provision and how many are placed with Independent Fostering Agencies?
2. Are placed in county and how many out of county?
5. Does the LA operate a framework agreement or preferred provider lists or other contractual arrangements for foster care? If so:
1. How many IFAs are on each tier of the framework agreement / preferred provider list?
2. How long does the current arrangement run for?
3. What are the key terms of the arrangement?
4. What is the specified weekly fee rate?
6. What OFSTED rating does the LAs foster services current have?
7. How much does the local authority spend annually on:
1. Residential care for LAC
2. Private foster care for LAC
3. In-house foster care for LAC
8. How has the total spend on each type of care for LAC changed over the past 3 years?
9. Please list all independent foster care providers to the Local Authority detailing – company name, number of children in placement, total spend for the last financial year.
10. What is the average weekly fee paid to independent providers of foster care?

Grateful if you could kindly respond to my queries.

Yours sincerely

[name removed]