Looked after children statistics

Section A: Overall S20 population

a) How many looked after children were in the care of your local authority under section 20 Children Act 1989 as at:-

(i)   31 March 2014;  published data

Two hundred and seventy six.

(ii)  31 March 2015;  published data

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/594367/SFR41_2016_LA_Tables.xlsx J

(iii) 31 March 2016;

 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/594367/SFR41_2016_LA_Tables.xlsx J

(iv) 31 October 2016?

Two hundred and four.

b) Of these, as of each date, how many were unaccompanied asylum seeking children?

None

None

None

Nine

c) As at 31 October 2016, how many of the unaccompanied asylum seeking children who are

looked after under a section 20 Children Act 1989 arrangement have been looked after under

section 20 for:- 

(i)   less than 1 year;

Eight

(ii)  1 to 2 years;

None

(iii)  2- 3 years;

Information is held in relation to this question but as disclosure may identify individuals we are withholding under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act – Personal Information.

(iv)  longer than 3 years.

None

Section B: Questions about accommodated children who are NOT unaccompanied asylum seeking children

The rest of these questions apply to looked after children in the care of your local authority under a section 20 Children Act 1989 arrangement, who are NOT unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

1. As at 31 October 2016, of the looked after children in the care of your local authority who are voluntarily accommodated under a section 20 Children Act 1989 agreement, how many were placed in:-

(i) unrelated foster care – excluding foster for adoption foster placements; – External Foster Placements –

Twenty five in house and seventy nine – non family/friends and carers – total one hundred and four (104)

(ii) foster for adoption foster placements; FFA

None

(iii) friends and family foster care; family and friends (All In-house) –

Twenty four

(iv) the care of a parent;

None

(v) residential care? 

Sixty nine

2. As at 31 October 2016, of the looked after children in the care of your local authority who were voluntarily accommodated under a section 20 Children Act 1989 arrangement how many were:-

(i) under 1;

Eight

(ii) 1-4 years;

Nine

(iii) 5 -9 years;

Seventeen

(iv) 10-15 years;

Eighty one

(v) 16 and over?

Eighty four

3a)  As at 31 October 2016, of the looked after children in the care of your local authority who were voluntarily accommodated under a section 20 Children Act 1989 arrangement, how many had become looked children since 1 April 2015?

One hundred and thirty

3b)  Of those children, how many were subject to:-

(i) care proceedings at the time the arrangement began; or 

We do hold this information but it as would take at least ten minutes to review each of the cases above to locate and collate the information, a total in excess of the time limit – 18 hours -specified under Section 12 of the freedom of information Act – Cost of Compliance, it is exempt.

(ii) a pre-proceedings (PLO) process during which parents are entitled to free, independent legal advice at the time the arrangement began; or

We do hold this information but it as would take at least ten minutes to review each of the cases above to locate and collate the information, a total in excess of the time limit – 18 hours -specified under Section 12 of the freedom of information Act – Cost of Compliance, it is exempt.

(iii) no legal process at the time the arrangement began?

We do hold this information but it as would take at least ten minutes to review each of the cases above to locate and collate the information, a total in excess of the time limit – 18 hours -specified under Section 12 of the freedom of information Act – Cost of Compliance, it is exempt.

4a) How many foster for adoption (s.22C(9A)-(9C) Children Act 1989) placements were initiated by your local authority during each of the following periods:-

(i) 25 July 2014 to 31 March 2015;

Seven

(ii) 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016; and   

Twenty three

(iii) 1 April 2016 until 31 October 2016?

Nineteen up to 30/09/2016.

4b)     In any of these cases did a placement involve more than one child?

Yes. Information is held about a number of cases where a placement involved more than one child but we are unable to disclose the total as to do so may identify individuals. Therefore we are withholding that information under Section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act – Personal Information.

4c)  How many of the children placed in foster for adoption placements initiated by your authority since 25 July 2014 were:

(i) new born to 6 weeks;  

2014/2015 

Seven

2015/2016

Eleven 

2016/2017 

Ten

(ii) 6 weeks to 6 months;

Information is held in relation to this question but as disclosure may identify individuals we are withholding under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act – Personal Information.

(iii) 6 months to 1year; 

Information is held in relation to this question but as disclosure may identify individuals we are withholding under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act – Personal Information.

(iv) 1 year  to 2 years;

Information is held in relation to this question but as disclosure may identify individuals we are withholding under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act – Personal Information.

2015/2016 – 7

(v) 2 years to 3 years. 

2015/2016

2016/2017

Information is held in relation to this question but as disclosure may identify individuals we are withholding under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act – Personal Information.

at the time that they became looked after?

5a) How many of the foster for adoption placements initiated by your local authority since 25 July 2014 were for children looked after pursuant to a section 20 Children Act 1989 voluntary accommodation agreement?  –

5b)     Of these, how many were subject to:-

(i) care proceedings at the time that the fostering for adoption placement began;

(ii) a pre-proceedings (PLO) process (during which parents are entitled to free, independent legal advice under regulation 5(1)(e) of the Civil Legal Aid (Financial Resources and Payment for Services) Regulations 2013) at the time that the fostering for adoption placement began; or

(iii) no legal process at the time that the fostering for adoption placement began? 

5c) In relation to children subject to a foster for adoption placement initiated by your local authority since 25 July 2014 who are looked after pursuant to a section 20 Children Act 1989 voluntary accommodation agreement, how many were aged:

(i) newborn to 6 weeks;

(ii) 6 weeks to 6 months;

(iii) 6 months to 1year;

(iv) 1 year  to 2 years; and

(v) 2 years to 3 years.

at the time that they become looked after?

We do hold information to answer Questions 5 a to 5 c but because it would take at least fifteen minutes to review each of a number of cases between fifty and one hundred it would take in excess of the time limit – 18 hours -specified under Section 12 of the freedom of information Act – Cost of Compliance.

Section C: Short break provision – 

6a) As at 31 October 2016 how many children in your local authority area receive short break or respite care provided under section 20 Children Act 1989? 

This information is recorded cumulatively meaning an accurate answer could have been located and extracted on 31/10/2016 and provided in response to this request, but we are unable to do that retrospectively.

6b)     Of those, how many are children with special needs/disabilities?

Please refer to the answer to the previous question.

Section D: Policy/good practice

7. Please confirm whether your local authority has any of the following:- 

(i)  a written policy relating to the use of section 20 voluntary agreements with parents and others with parental responsibility;

Decision to look After and Care Planning – Section 20

(ii)  written guidance for social workers in the authority about the use of section 20 voluntary agreements with parents and others with parental responsibility;

Decision to look After and Care Planning – Section 20

(iii)   a template form of written agreement for parents regarding entering into a section 20 Children Act 1989 voluntary arrangement?

Placement Agreement form

7a.   Please provide a copy of these documents.

Please access these documents using the links above.