I would like to make a freedom of information request for the following information:
1. The amount of adoptions that have failed in the introductions phase in the last 10 years due to social workers calling off the adoption (so the adopter has NOT made the decision). If possible, to include what is the most common reason for this.
2. What is the split between sexes/ single adopters/ couples?
In response to questions 1 and 2, 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. There are 26 records that would need to be reviewed due to us not holding this information in a reportable format. Due to the nature of the information requested, we estimate it would take 60 minutes to review each record, also considering any cross-checking that may be required etc. Therefore, 60 minutes x 26 files = 26 hours to complete and therefore over 18 hours.
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.