The National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) - Find a freedom of information request

Please find attached a Freedom of Information Request related to the support provided to D/deaf children and young people who are either Looked after or are care leavers by your local authority. This information will be used in a Dissertation that is associated with the University of Wolverhampton in association with the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS).

Please note the following in completing the questionnaire:

* By 'looked after' we are following the definition within the s20, s31 Children Act 1989 This includes all children subject to care orders (s31) and those placed with agreement by parent(s) under s20. We also are including children subject to a series of planned short breaks (respite care) but only under s20.

* By 'care leaver' we mean those, 'eligible', 'relevant', 'former relevant' child and 'qualify care leaver' up to age 25 within s23 and s24 of Children Act 1989, and s3 Children and Social Work Act 2017

* By 'deaf' we mean any level of hearing loss, and regardless of communication approach. Local authority data systems may record such children and young people as 'deaf', 'hearing impairment' and/or use the specific disability fields as recorded in the Characteristics of Child In Need tables within the national data returns.

Some deaf children may not have deafness/hearing impairments as their primary disability. We still wish to identify these children and young people within this request.

* To gather this information useful sources of evidence may be local disability registers Looked After children teams, Leaving Care teams, Disability Teams and sensory teams.

Section A: Looked After deaf children and young people

1. How many looked after children and young people during the year were recorded as having a disability of deafness/hearing impairment in each of the last three years?

Number of deaf children and young people

01 April 2017 - 31 March 2018 (year 1)

01 April 2018 - 31 March 2019 (year 2)

01 April 2019 - 31 March 2020 (year 3)

2. Of the numbers shown in the table above, how many children and young people were known to communicate through British Sign Language?

Number of deaf of children and young people

01 April 2017 - 31 March 2018 (year 1)

01 April 2018 - 31 March 2019 (year 2)

01 April 2019 - 31 March 2020 (year 3)

3. What were the main types of placement for looked after deaf children? Children may be recorded more than once if they had multiple placements over the year.

Relevant Year period Number of deaf children and young people by placement type

Any type of 'respite' short break placement Foster placement to

Adopt

Foster placement long term

Foster with a relative or friend Children's home Residential school or college

01 April 2019 - 31 March 2020 (year 3)

4. Are looked after deaf children and young people offered deaf-specific support or provision? (For example, access to deaf role models, Deaf Advocacy, BSL translated materials, BSL interpreters, etc.)

☐Yes

☐No

If yes, please outline what that is:

5. Please provide contact details of the advocacy service you provide or commission:

6. Is there any additional information you wish to add in relation to Section A?

Section B: Deaf Care leavers

7. How many care leavers were recorded as having a disability of deafness/hearing impairment in each of the last three year periods?)

Number of deaf children and young people

01 April 2017 - 31 March 2018 (year 1)

01 April 2018 - 31 March 2019 (year 2)

01 April 2019 - 31 March 2020 (year 3)

8. Of the numbers shown in the table above, how many children and young people were known to communicate through British Sign Language?

Number of deaf children and young people

01 April 2017 - 31 March 2018 (year 1)

01 April 2018 - 31 March 2019 (year 2)

01 April 2019 - 31 March 2020 (year 3)

9. What were the main destinations of deaf young people at the time they left care/ceased to be looked after?

In education In training or employment Not in education, employment or training

Not known

No of deaf young care leavers who left care between

01 April 2017 - 31 March 2018 (year one)

No of deaf young care leavers who left care between

01 April 2018 - 31 March 2019 (year two)

No of deaf young care leavers who left care between

01 April 2019 - 31 March 2020 (year three)

10. Are deaf care leavers offered deaf-specific support or provision? (for example, access to deaf role models, Deaf Advocacy, BSL translated materials, BSL interpreters, etc.)

☐Yes

☐ No

If yes, please outline what that is:


11. Is there any additional information you wish to add in relation to Section B?

Section C: Foster carers


12. Do you provide any of the following training and support to foster carers of deaf children?

Yes No

Deaf awareness training

Opportunities to learn British Sign Language

13. Please specify below if any other training or support on deafness is provided to foster carers of deaf children and young people.

14. Do you keep a record of foster carers who knowledge of experience of supporting deaf children and young people?

☐Yes

☐No

15. Do you keep a record of foster carers who can communicate through British Sign Language?

☐Yes

☐No

16. Have any steps been taken to recruit deaf adults to become foster carers or to promote fostering as an option among the Deaf community?

☐Yes

☐No

If yes, please outline below how this has been done.

17. Is there any additional information you wish to add in relation to Section C?













18. Please could you provide the contact details for the officer responsible for commissioning services for specialist fostering and looked after placements in your area.



Name

Role

Email address





19. Please could you provide the contact details for the Lead Member for Children's Services within your local authority?

 

Please find attached completed questionnaire 2020

Should you require the attachment mentioned above please contact customerinformationservice@lincolnshire.gov.uk with the below reference number and this can be provided.