FOI Request - Looked-After Children during Pandemic
Request 101002530018
1) a) How many children were placed by the local authority in registered children’s homes or with foster carers, during the period March 1st 2020-June 1st 2020?
b) How many children were placed by the local authority in registered children’s homes or with foster carers, during the period March 1st 2019-June 1st 2019?
For children referred to foster carers, please only include placements lasting more than 14 days - i.e not short term respite care provisions.
2) How many children were placed by the local authority into registered children's homes and/or foster placements lasting more than 14 days:
a) within the authority area
b) out of the authority area
i. For those children placed out of area, please provide information on the distances children were placed in miles. Please organise this by the number of children placed 0-10 miles, 11-20 miles, 21-30 miles, 31-40, 41-50 miles, 51-100miles, 100+ miles.
Ideally please use the children's previous home or school as the starting point for calculating distance. If unknown, please use the authority's HQ address.
3) How many looked-after children were placed into unregulated provisions including independent and and/or semi-independent provisions during the period March 1 - June 1 2020?
a. Where possible please provide the ages of children at the time of placement in the following provisions:
i. Under 16
ii. 16-17
iii. 18
4) How many looked-after children residing in foster care have been re-homed by the authority in the period March 1st-June-1st 2020?
Re-homed refers to children who have left the foster family they were initially placed with, and have subsequently been placed in an alternate provision - this could include a placement with another foster family, a children's home or an alternate care setting.
5) How many emergency or additional care places, beyond existing capacity, has the authority sought in order to provide care to children between the period 1st March - 1st June 2020?
As you know, under the act you are required to provide a response within 20 days. Please send your response to this email address only. Please avoid using tables or spreadsheets in your responses - plain text responses is preferable.
If you do not provide the information requested, you must explain the legal basis for the information being withheld. If you decline part of the request due to information being sensitive, the request being too vague, or reasonable cost being exceeded, you must still provide the part you can fulfill.
If children's services are looked after by another organisation on behalf of the authority, or if there are colleagues better placed to handle this request, I would appreciate you redirecting my request to the relevant individual or organisation on my behalf.
Response 16-07-2020
1a) 15
b) Due to the low numbers involved, disclosure could lead to the identification of individuals. This information is therefore exempt under section 38(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, personal information.
2a) 15
b) 0
3) 0
4) Due to the low numbers involved, disclosure could lead to the identification of individuals. This information is therefore exempt under section 38(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, personal information.
5) Due to the low numbers involved, disclosure could lead to the identification of individuals. This information is therefore exempt under section 38(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, personal information.