Hammersmith and Fulham

‌Hayden Glassey‍ ‌Senior Complaints and Investigations Officer‍, ‌H and F In Touch‍

‌Room 229 Hammersmith Town Hall King Street Hammersmith London W6 9JU‍ Tel: 020 8753 ‌2532‍ Email: ‌[email protected]‍ 7 September 2012 Web: www.lbhf.gov.uk

Our reference: 478094

Dear ‌Ms. Evans‍

Thank you for your request for information received on 19 July 2012.

Your request

We would be grateful if you could provide us with responses to the following questions:

1. Statistics on young people

How many looked after children and care leavers are the responsibility of this local authority? How many unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) is this local authority responsible for? How many UASC are placed in this borough by other local authorities? How many former UASC are receiving leaving care services in this local authority, and of these how many are appeal rights exhausted? What percentage of UASC and former UASC have additional needs (e.g. related to disability) and how many of these former UASC are getting support to meet these needs under adult social care legislation?

2. Support for UASC and refugee and asylum seeking care leavers

Are UASC supported through universal or targeted services (i.e. is there a dedicated Unaccompanied Minors team or are UASC’s social workers working within universal teams)?

Are refugee and asylum seeking care leavers supported by social workers and personal advisors in universal or specialised teams?

3. Support for Appeal Rights Exhausted young people

In the last financial year 2011-2012, how many appeal rights exhausted asylum seeking care leavers under 21 years (or 25 years if in full time education) were discharged from Local Authority services? How many of the young people referred to in the question above had their support terminated as a result of a human rights assessment?

4. Request for Policies and Reports

Please provide copies of the following reports and policies for your Local Authority (as set out in The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 3: Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers, including The Care Leavers Regulations 2010, Appendix F): a) Provision for the allocation of leaving care support to young people who are relevant or former relevant children and the review of pathway plans for these young people b) Leaving Care Financial Policy c) Setting up home allowance policy d) Human Rights assessment procedure and criteria e) Complaints report.

Our response

This request is being handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I can confirm that Hammersmith and Fulham holds the information you requested.

1. Statistics on young people

How many looked after children and care leavers are the responsibility of this local authority?

How many unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) is this local authority responsible for?

How many UASC are placed in this borough by other local authorities?

The Council does not hold this information.

How many former UASC are receiving leaving care services in this local authority, and of these how many are appeal rights exhausted?

Of 61, 5 or fewer* have exhausted their appeal rights.

*It is the general policy of the Council not to disclose, to a third party, personal information about another person. This is because the Council has obligations under the Data Protection Act to protect this information. It has been concluded that some of the information you have requested is exempt under Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Section 40(2) of the Act states that personal data relating to third parties (i.e. a party other than the person requesting the information) is exempt information if one of the conditions in Section 40(3) is satisfied. It is my view that disclosure of the figure requested would breach one or more of the Data Protection Principles in the DPA. For example, disclosure would breach the fair processing principle, as it would be unfair on the person who the personal data relates to, and they have a reasonable expectation that the Council would hold that information in confidence. I have therefore used “5 or fewer”.

What percentage of UASC and former UASC have additional needs (e.g. related to disability) and how many of these former UASC are getting support to meet these needs under adult social care legislation?

0% and 0%

2. Support for UASC and refugee and asylum seeking care leavers

Are UASC supported through universal or targeted services (i.e. is there a dedicated Unaccompanied Minors team or are UASC’s social workers working within universal teams)?

There is a Care Leavers Team that works with UASC 18 plus. Minors are managed within the LAC Team.

Are refugee and asylum seeking care leavers supported by social workers and personal advisors in universal or specialised teams?

Specialised team with regards to 18 plus care leavers. Within the LAC team there ae workers with specialised skills and knowledge of working with UASC.

3. Support for Appeal Rights Exhausted young people

In the last financial year 2011-2012, how many appeal rights exhausted asylum seeking care leavers under 21 years (or 25 years if in full time education) were discharged from Local Authority services?

How many of the young people referred to in the question above had their support terminated as a result of a human rights assessment?

4. Request for Policies and Reports

Please provide copies of the following reports and policies for your Local Authority (as set out in The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 3: Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers, including The Care Leavers Regulations 2010, Appendix F): a) Provision for the allocation of leaving care support to young people who are relevant or former relevant children and the review of pathway plans for these young people b) Leaving Care Financial Policy c) Setting up home allowance policy d) Human Rights assessment procedure and criteria e) Complaints report

Please see attached –

Jan 2010 Revised 2 YPS Leaving... Complaints Report 2010-11

Please note the following:

1. The Leaving Care Policy does need updating as of last year April 2011, which we are aware of. There has been some work to progress the changes, but as yet not completed.

2. The Leaving Care Financial Policy and Setting Up Home Allowance Policy are contained within the Leaving Care Policy, as are the allocation of services and review of Pathway Plans.

Some of the policies and documents are incomplete or in draft form. They will be completed and signed off shortly, however they do not yet constitute Council Policies. The Council’s response where the documents have not been provided is that this information is not held at this time but will be in the future.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of this response, please contact the h&f InTouch team, who will decide whether to refer the matter to the Council's Information Manager for an internal review.

You can write to the h&f InTouch team at Room 229, Hammersmith Town Hall, King Street, London W6 9JU, or email: [email protected]. If you are registered for self- service, via the Council's My Account portal, you can also do this online: ‌Click here to complete the form‍

You can also obtain further information from the Information Commissioner’s Office at: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF Tel: 08456 306060 Website: www.ico.gov.uk Enquiries: www.ico.gov.uk/Global/online_enquiries.aspx

‌Yours sincerely

‌Hayden Glassey‍ ‌Senior Complaints and Investigations Officer‍ ‍