Please provide information relating to your authority’s looked-after children who have a recorded disability, hold an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), or have neurodevelopmental or attachment-related diagnoses.
Where data is held against a financial year, please provide figures for the most
recent three complete financial years (2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25) and the current
year to date. Where monthly snapshots are held, please provide the most recent 12
month period.
1. Cohort Numbers
1.1 As at the most recent available snapshot date, please confirm the total number of
children currently looked after by the authority, and the snapshot date used.
817 (as at 27-07-2026)
1.2 As at the same snapshot date, please provide the number of looked-after
children (aged 0-17) in each of the following categories.
– With a recorded disability (as reported on the SSDA903 statistical return)
170
– With an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in force
235
– With a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC)
Devon County Council can only identify children where this is a primary need of an EHCP, on this basis the number is 33.
– With a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Devon County Council does not hold this information. This is because this forms part of Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH).
– With a Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) primary need on their EHCP or equivalent assessment
Devon County Council can only identify children where this is a primary need of an EHCP, on this basis the number is 33.
– With a Learning Disability (mild, moderate, severe or profound)
Devon County Council can only identify children where this is a primary need of an EHCP, on this basis the number is 24.
– With a physical disability
3
– With a sensory impairment (visual or hearing)
3
– With Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
Devon County Council does not hold this information.
– With a Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) profile, where recorded
Devon County Council does not hold this information.
– With a recorded diagnosis of Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) or Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder (DSED), where recorded
Devon County Council does not hold this information.
– Where developmental trauma is recorded as a presenting need in the child’s care assessment or formulation
Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 makes provision for public authorities to refuse requests for information where the cost of compliance would exceed the appropriate limit, which for local government is set at £450 or 18 hours of officer time.
To locate and extract information from our systems would require the manual review of records over the 4 Snapshots. This will total in excess of 3,200 assessments, with each review taking at least 10 minutes per assessment or over 500 hours of officer time and therefore this response acts as a Refusal Notice for this part of your request.
Under the Act, there is a duty to provide advice and assistance as to how a request can be refined to fit within the appropriate limit. Unfortunately, due to the way the data is held, this is not possible for this request.
1.3 Please provide the equivalent figures for each of the following years, where held:
– 2022/23
– 2023/24
– 2024/25
– 2025/26 (year to date)
Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 makes provision for public authorities to refuse requests for information where the cost of compliance would exceed the appropriate limit, which for local government is set at £450 or 18 hours of officer time.
To locate and extract information from our systems, for all listed years, would require the manual review of all records in scope with each review taking at least 10 minutes per assessment and therefore this response acts as a Refusal Notice for this part of your request.
Under the Act, there is a duty to provide advice and assistance as to how a request can be refined to fit within the appropriate limit. Unfortunately, due to the way the data is held, this is not possible for this request.
1.4 Overlapping diagnoses — of the looked-after children identified in Question 1.2,
please confirm, where routinely recorded:
– (a) The number of children with an EHCP who also have a recorded diagnosis of
ASC
33
– (b) The number of children with an EHCP who also have a recorded diagnosis of
ADHD
Devon County Council does not hold this information. This is because this forms part of Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH).
– (c) The number of children who have both ASC and ADHD recorded
Devon County Council does not hold this information. This is because this forms part of Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH).
1.5 Educational placement of the EHCP cohort — of the looked-after children with an
EHCP in force at the snapshot date used in Q1.1, please provide the number
attending each of the following, where routinely recorded:
– Mainstream school
89
– Specialist maintained school
43
– Independent special school (non-maintained or independent)
58
– Alternative Provision (AP)
0
– Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) or education otherwise arranged
29
– No education currently in place (where recorded)
15
2. Placement Type by SEND Profile
For looked-after children with an EHCP in force at the snapshot date used in Q1.1, please provide the number placed in each of the following settings:
2.1 Ofsted-registered children’s homes (under 18s)
70
2.2 Residential schools / 52-week placements
7
2.3 Specialist SEND fostering placements (in-house or IFA)
Devon County Council does not hold this information. All information is included in response to 2.4.
2.4 Mainstream fostering (in-house or IFA)
127
2.5 Ofsted-registered supported accommodation (16-17)
16
2.6 Unregistered provision
5
2.7 Placed out of area (20+ miles from home address, or outside the LA boundary —
please state which definition your authority uses)
Out of local authority boundary: 31
2.8 In joint-funded placements (LA + ICB / NHS Continuing Care)
Devon County Council does not hold this information.