Freedom of information response
Adult Learning Disability Services
Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the following information regarding adult learning disability services. Where possible, please kindly include responses on the attached Excel spreadsheet.
1. Please could you supply the name, email address and telephone number of the commissioner with responsibility for learning disabilities placements?
For questions 2 to 6, please supply this information as a snapshot at the end of the year for the financial years 2022/23 and the most up to date snapshot available for 2023/24.
2. Please provide the total number of adults with learning disabilities funded by the Local Authority in residential care.
3. Of the total number of adults with learning disabilities funded by the Local Authority in residential care (q.2) please provide the number that are in ‘in area’ placements and the number that are in ‘out of area’ placements.
4. Please provide the total number of adults with learning disabilities funded by the Local Authority in supported living.
5. Please provide the number of adults with learning disabilities who transitioned from children’s learning disabilities services into adult’s services - in total, into adult residential care services only, and into adult supported living services only.
6. Please provide the number of adults with learning disabilities who ‘stepped down’ from specialist inpatient hospital placements into adult residential care and supported living services.
7. Please provide the local authority’s total expenditure on residential care and supported living for adults with learning disabilities for the financial year 2022/23, and budgeted expenditure for 2023/24.
8. Please provide the highest, lowest, and average weekly rate paid by the Local Authority for residential care placements for adults with a learning disability for each of the financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24. If the Local Authority has weekly rate bands, please also provide these.
9. Please provide the highest, lowest, and average hourly rate paid by the Local Authority for supported living placements for adults with a learning disability for each of the financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24. If the Local Authority has hourly rate bands, please also provide these
Please see attached.
Unfortunately we are unable to provide in full the information you have requested. We do hold the information but an absolute exemption applies. Personal Information (Section 40,2)
Personal data of any other person (third party data) is exempt under section 40(2) if disclosure would breach one of the data protection principles. This aspect of Section 40 is an Absolute Exemption and is therefore not subject to the Public Interest Test.
The names of officers working for the Council is personal data specific to them. It is therefore subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act. Information can be withheld if its disclosure would be likely to breach one or more of the Principles of the Data Protection Act. There is no prior expectation on the part of team Managers (or other officers working below the level of Director) that their names and job titles / positions would be published into the wider public domain under FOI. A disclosure made under FOI constitutes a publication to the world at large. We believe that to disclose this would be likely to breach the first Principle of the Data Protection Act by unfairly contravening their right to privacy and confidentiality in the work place.
However, in the interests of transparency we are able to share details relating to senior officers (Director level and above). For these officers, there is already a greater expectation of openness about their role given their level of accountability for service provision and budgetary decision making.
For your information please see the following link which outlines staff details of Director and above: https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/chief-executive-directors-and-services