Looked After Children During the Pandemic - Find a freedom of information request

This request refers to looked-after children during the pandemic:

For children referred to foster carers, use only include placements lasting more than 14 days - i.e. not short term respite care provisions:

1. How many children were placed by the local authority in registered children’s homes or with foster carers, during the period 1 March 2020 – 1 June 2020?

2. How many children were placed by the local authority in registered children’s homes or with foster carers, during the period 1 March 2019 – 1 June 2019?

3. How many children were placed by the local authority into registered children's homes and/or foster placements lasting more than 14 days:

a. Within the authority area?

b. Out of the authority area?

Please use the children's previous home or school as the starting point for calculating distance. If unknown, please use the authority's HQ address:

4. For those children placed out of area, please provide information on the distances children were placed in miles. Please organise this by the number of children placed:

a. 0-10 miles

b. 11-20 miles

c. 21-30 miles

d. 31-40

e. 41-50 miles

f. 51-100miles

g. 100+ miles

5. How many looked-after children were placed into unregulated provisions including independent and and/or semi-independent provisions during the period 1 March – 1 June 2020?

6. Please provide the ages of children at the time of placement in the following provisions:

a. Under 16

b. 16-17

c. 18

Re-homed refers to children who have left the foster family they were initially placed with, and have subsequently been placed in an alternate provision - this could include a placement with another foster family, a children's home or an alternate care setting:

7. How many looked-after children residing in foster care have been re-homed by the authority in the period 1 March – 1 June 2020?

8. How many emergency or additional care places, beyond existing capacity, has the authority sought in order to provide care to children between the period 1 March - 1 June 2020?

1.
Registered children's homes: 2
Foster Carers: 56

2.
Registered children's homes: 1
Foster Carers: 41

3.

a.
Registered children's homes: 1
Foster Carers: 36

b.
Registered children's homes: 0
Foster Carers: 7
4.
a. 0
b. 2
c. 0
d. 0
e. 0
f. 4
g. 2

5. 5

6.
a. 64
b. 12
c. 0

7. 31

8. 11

Notes:
Items 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6: All children that became looked after between 1 March 2020 and 1 June 2020

Item 2: All children that became looked after between 1 March 2019 and 1 June 2019

Item 7: All children in foster care that moved to a new placement between 1 March 2020 and 1 June 2020

All Items exclude looked after children on short term breaks and in respite placements.