Children's Services - Freedom of information requests
Title or Description
Children's Services
FOI Number
15814
Date Received
18/11/2021
Type of Request
FOI
Request or Question
I am writing with a Freedom of Information request regarding children's services from financial years 2018/19 - 20/21 or the most recent 3 years available, from looking at the publicly available information provided by the Department of Education and Ofsted, it is my understanding that this would be available from yourself at a local authority level. I would like to request the following information regarding your children's services. I've listed the requirements individually, but each section is similar the only difference is the type of care I'm asking for.
In foster care:
Children in care
* Total number of children from your local authority
* Number of children cared for by your own local authority provision
* Number of children cared for by another local authority's provision
* Number of children cared for by independent provision
* The number of children cared for by each independent provider (e.g. National Fostering Agency, Foster Care Associates, Capstone Foster Care, Fostering Solutions, By the Bridge Ltd etc.)
Available Places
* Total places available to your local authority from your local authority
* Total places available to your local authority from another local authority
* Total places available to your local authority from independent provision
* If available, places available to your local authority by each independent provider (e.g. National Fostering Agency, Foster Care Associates, Capstone Foster Care, Fostering Solutions, By the Bridge Ltd etc.)
Cost to your local authority
* Average cost per child per week of local authority provision
* Average price per child per week to your local authority of independent provision
* If available, average cost per child per week to your local authority for each independent provider
In residential care (regulated residential care like children's care homes excluding unregulated and semi-independent accommodation):
Children in care
* Total number of children from your local authority
* Number of children cared for by your own local authority provision
* Number of children cared for by another local authority's provision
* Number of children cared for by independent provision
* The number of children cared for by each independent provider (e.g. Cambian Childcare, Hillcrest Children's Services, Keys Care Ltd, Horizon Care etc.)
Available Places
* Total places available to your local authority from your local authority
* Total places available to your local authority from another local authority
* Total places available to your local authority from independent provision
* If available, places available to your local authority by each independent provider (e.g. Cambian Childcare, Hillcrest Children's Services, Keys Care Ltd, Horizon Care etc.)
Cost to your local authority
* Average cost per child per week of local authority provision
* Average price per child per week to your local authority of independent provision
* If available, average cost per child per week to your local authority for each independent provider
In residential SEN schools
Children in care
* Total number of children from your local authority
* Number of children cared for by your own local authority provision
* Number of children cared for by another local authority's provision
* Number of children cared for by independent provision
* The number of children cared for by each independent provider (e.g. Cambian Childcare, Witherslack Group, Bright Futures Care Ltd, Acorn Education and Care etc)
Available Places
* Total places available to your local authority from your local authority
* Total places available to your local authority from another local authority
* Total places available to your local authority from independent provision
* If available, places available to your local authority by each independent provider (e.g. Cambian Childcare, Witherslack Group, Bright Futures Care Ltd, Acorn Education and Care etc)
Cost to your local authority
* Average cost per child per week of local authority provision
* Average price per child per week to your local authority of independent provision
* If available, average cost per child per week to your local authority for each independent provider
In SEN day schools
Children in care
* Total number of children from your local authority
* Number of children in your own local authority provision
* Number of children in another local authority's provision
* Number of children in independent provision
* The number of children in each independent provider (e.g. Cambian Childcare, Witherslack Group, Bright Futures Care Ltd, Acorn Education and Care etc)
Available Places
* Total places available to your local authority from your local authority
* Total places available to your local authority from another local authority
* Total places available to your local authority from independent provision
* If available, places available to your local authority by each independent provider (e.g. Cambian Childcare, Witherslack Group, Bright Futures Care Ltd, Acorn Education and Care etc)
Cost to your local authority
* Average cost per child per week of local authority provision
* Average price per child per week to your local authority of independent provision
* If available, average cost per child per week to your local authority for each independent provider
Please find attached a suggested excel template for you to fill in the information, one workbook with worksheets for each of the categories number of children in care, available places and cost to your local authority.
Response
Scottish Borders Council has considered your request and concluded that the cost of complying with it would be more than £600. Under S12 (1) of FOISA 2002 Scottish Borders Council is not obliged to comply with a request that is estimated to exceed this cost.
The estimated cost of dealing with your request is detailed below:
Activity Staff Hours Charge per hour Other Costs Subtotal
Preparation 50 £15.00 £750
Redaction
Photocopying
Total Cost £750
Therefore we are refusing your request.
We appreciate that this will be disappointing to you. We would be pleased to discuss whether your request could be changed, to bring down the cost of providing the information and allow us to respond. Please contact the Information Management Team to discuss options.
