FOI Request - Booking System for Respite Care and Short Breaks

Request 101003835287

1. Does the council use an electronic booking system for respite stays/short break initiatives?

2. If so, who supplies the booking system?

3. When did the contract start with this supplier?

4. When does the contract end with this supplier?

5. Is there any extensions available on this contract?

6. How much does this system cost the local authority annually?

7. If there is no system in place, then how is this being managed?

8. Who is the person responsible for booking respite stays/short breaks?

Response 29-08-2025

1. No, the requests go to a Resource Allocation Panel that look at the resources available and are risk-assessed accordingly. The panel keep up-to-date requests by date and urgency, and the list is of course dynamic, as crisis placements are placed first. All requests are discussed and presented daily. We do not have any local authority care homes so short breaks are entirely at the discretion of the independent care homes. All requests are updated on our Care First system which is our person-care tracking system, but we do not use it for bookings.

2. Not applicable

3. Not applicable

4. Not applicable

5. Not applicable

6. Not applicable

7. Please see response at question 1. 

8. The Resource Allocation Meeting panel is made up of social work team leads and senior management representatives. Requests come via the social workers into a closely monitored email inbox.