Adult Primary Needs Support

In this request the term adult refers to a person aged 18 years to 64 years.

1. Please supply the name, email address and telephone number of the commissioner with responsibility for placements in supported living.

You can use this email address socialcarebusinessrelations-mailbox@devon.gov.uk and public phone contacts are available on this Devon County Council page.

Devon County Council are not obliged to provide information that is the personal information of another person if releasing it would contravene any of the provisions in the Data Protection Act 2018.  In this instance we believe that the release of the staff name would contravene the first data protection principle. Therefore this information is exempt from disclosure under Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act (Personal Data). 

In relation to the financial years 2021/22, 2022/23 and projections for 2023/24:

2. How many adults with a primary support need of learning disabilities (LD), autism (ASD), or mental health (MH) needs are funded by the Council and receiving long-term care in supported living settings?

Devon County Council believes compliance with this request would exceed the appropriate cost limit under Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which is £450 or 18 hours of officer time. Our finance team does not hold a centralised record of this information, as such, a manual check of every adults social care file would be required to gather and collate the information. Due to the number of adult case files this would take thousands of hours, and far exceed the appropriate limit.

In the interests of providing advice and assistance, we are able to inform you that the full categorisation of adults with Supported Living arrangements is underway as part of an existing project and strategy. And that the projected figure for 2023/24 is 900.

3. How many are placed in area?

867 (projected figure for 2023/24, as per answer to Q2)

 4. How many are placed out of area?

33 (projected figure for 2023/24, as per answer to Q2)

5. How many adults with a primary support need of LD, ASD or MH needs in long-term supported living settings were new joiners?

Devon County Council believes compliance with this request would exceed the appropriate cost limit under Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which is £450 or 18 hours of officer time. Our finance team does not hold a centralised record of this information, as such, a manual check of every adults social care file would be required to gather and collate the information. Due to the number of adult case files this would take thousands of hours, and far exceed the appropriate limit.

6. How many were leavers?

Devon County Council believes compliance with this request would exceed the appropriate cost limit under Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which is £450 or 18 hours of officer time. Our finance team does not hold a centralised record of this information, as such, a manual check of every adults social care file would be required to gather and collate the information. Due to the number of adult case files this would take thousands of hours, and far exceed the appropriate limit.

7. Please provide a list of providers of supported living services used by the Council to place adults with a primary support need of LD, ASD or MH receiving long-term care. 

See response to Q8.

8. How many of these adults are in each placement?

9. What is total expenditure with each provider in relation to these placements?

This information is exempt under Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Commercial Interests. 

Devon County Council considers that the release of this information provides competitive advantage to the requestor, and this would prejudice the commercial interests of the providers involved. We also consider that that the release of this information would be commercially prejudicial to the council, as releasing this information could lead to providers benchmarking against prices submitted. This may then lead to future tenders being less competitive in the future. 

Devon County Council acknowledges that there is a general public interest in openness and transparency. However, there is a strong public interest in ensuring the Council achieves the best value for taxpayers money, to provide the best services for the people of Devon. Therefore, for this reason we believe that the balance of public interest lies in withholding this information.

10. What is the average weekly fee these placements?

£857

11. How many of these adults have fees per week of:

a. Less than £500 – 361
b. £500 to £749 – 120
c. £750 to £999 – 133
d. £1,000 to £1,249 – 103
e. £1,250 to £1,499 – 54
f. £1,500 to £1,999 – 65
g. £2,000 to £2,499 – 25
h. £2,500 or more – 39

12. What is the highest hourly rate the Council pays to providers of supported living services for adults (aged 18-64) with a primary support need of LD, MH and ASD?

£34.88

13. What is the lowest?

£17.24

14. What is the average?

This can be calculated using answers to Q13 and Q14.