Corporate Parenting Responsibility - Find a freedom of information request

1. The total number of looked after children the council currently (as of, or around, today's date) has Corporate Parenting responsibility for, who are currently placed in residential children's homes (excluding fostering placements, secure children's homes, residential special schools registered as children's homes, children's homes that provide respite care or short breaks only). Please note this definition of children's homes is the same used by the Department for Education in collating children's homes data in the Children's Homes Data Pack.

2. A breakdown of this total showing the number of placements within the local authority, and the number outside the local authority.

3. How many young people (including care leavers) have been placed in unregulated 'support and semi-support living' accommodation between 2018-2021? What was the highest cost of per young person per week? What is the average duration?

4. What is the largest amount paid for a single weekly placement at a children's home in the last three years (2018-19 2019-20 2020-21)? Please state the highest amount and in which year it was paid. Please say which private provider this was paid to.

5. What is the largest amount paid for a single nightly placement at a children's home in the last three years ( 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21)? Please state the highest amount and in which year it was paid. Please say which private provider this was paid to.

6. What is the largest amount paid for a total package of care at a children's home in the last three years ( 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21)? Please state the highest amount and in which year it was paid, as well as how long the placement was for. Please say which private provider this was paid to.

7. How many young parents (including care leavers) have accessed a mother and baby foster placement over the past 3 years? (including being placed outside the local authority)

8. How many young parents (including care leavers) have accessed a mother and baby parenting assessment unit over the past 3 years?

9. Please could you provide me with a breakdown in costings of what you would expect to pay an Independent Fostering Agency and parenting assessment unit for the following?

A)12 week PAMS assessment

B) 12 week family accommodation (cost for mother and baby) per week

C) Additional costing of additional child (for 12 weeks) per week

D) Additional cost if father is involved in assessment (12 weeks) per week

E) Supervised contact (cost per hour)

F) Transportation (time and mileage)

1. We have 44 Children in Care (LAC) placed in independent residential children's home placements as of 25-08-21. In addition, there are 26 current placements within our in-house children's homes.

2. All in-house residential children's homes are located within Lincolnshire. As of the date shown (25-08-21), there are 3 independent residential children's home placements within Lincolnshire and 41 are geographically outside Lincolnshire.

3. Details below regarding numbers of individual young people placed per year (not existing placements that may have been in place at the start of each year)

 

4. The largest amount paid for a single weekly placement in an independent residential children's home during the period 2018 to 2021 (covering financial years 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21) was £15,000 in 2020-21. Due to confidentiality of placement information we are unable to confirm which provider this was paid to.

5. Lincolnshire costs are calculated by the week. It can therefore be assumed that the largest amount for a single nightly placement would be the weekly amount shown in Q5 divided by 7 days i.e. £2,142.86 Due to confidentiality of placement information we are unable to confirm which provider this was paid to.

6. The largest amount paid for a total package of in an independent residential children's home during the period 2018 to 2021 (covering financial years 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21) was £330,480 in 2019-20. The total cost covered approximately 43 weeks. NB/ costs are taken from the workbook for each financial year and show placement costs within that financial year, regardless of the length of the placement. Due to confidentiality of placement information we are unable to confirm which provider this was paid to.

7. During the period 2018 to 2021 (financial years 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21) the following young parents accessed in-house parent & child foster placements, all of whom were placed geographically in Lincolnshire:

• 2018-19 x 13

• 2019-20 x 10

• 2020-21 x 6

During the period 2018 to 2021 (financial years 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21) the following young parents accessed independent (IFA) parent & child foster placements:

• 2018-19 x 18 (3 of whom were placed geographically outside Lincolnshire)

• 2019-20 x 12 (6 of whom were placed geographically outside Lincolnshire)

• 2020-21 x 11 (8 of whom were placed geographically outside Lincolnshire)

NB/ we do not have information whether these young people are/were care leavers at the point of placement without extensive review of case files.

8. Lincolnshire does not have in-house parent & child residential units used for parenting assessment.

During the period 2018 to 2021 (financial years 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21) the following young parents accessed independent parent & child residential placements:

• 2018-19 x 0 placements made

• 2019-20 x 5 (5 of whom were placed geographically outside Lincolnshire)

• 2020-21 x 5 (5 of whom were placed geographically outside Lincolnshire)

NB/ we do not have information whether these young people are/were care leavers at the point of placement without extensive review of case files.

9. As this would be dependent on the individual needs of the child and/or family, it is not possible to give an 'expected' price for each of the costing's indicated from a to f.