Freedom of information response
Looked After Children
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 I would like to request the following pieces of information.
If providing any of the pieces of information would exceed the cost limit set out in the Act, I would like you to continue to respond to the other items being asked.
Please redact any personal details if necessary.
For the purpose of these questions, ‘sex’ refers to a child’s biological sex, whereas gender refers to perceived gender identity that a person may consider they have, that may or may not match their biological sex.
Please provide any information that you hold in relation to the questions below:
1. Information relating to the total number of Looked After Children in your care
2. Information relating to the number of Looked After Children in your care currently who have expressed that they may be a different gender to their sex or expressed a wish to change their gender. I would like to know:
a. The total number of such children
In addition, if you can provide the information below without identifying children, I would also like to know:
b. The number of such children aged 10 and under
c. The number of such children who are:
i. Biologically male; i.e. their sex at birth was male
ii. Biologically female; i.e. their sex at birth was female
3. Information relating to the number of Looked After Children in your care who have been referred to an NHS Service in the last 48 months due to their expression of gender dysphoria, gender incongruence, or the belief that their gender identity is different to their sex.
4. Documents relating to any training or resources you have used from an external provider (charity or commercial organisation) on gender identity, sex and sexuality, or transition in the last 48 months.
A. If training has been provided, please provide details of the organisations who provided the training, the date, and the cost to the Local Authority.
5. A copy of all your policies relating to transgender or gender questioning Looked After Children.
6. Who, if anyone, would the Local Authority consult before allowing a Looked After Child to socially transition (i.e. identify as a different gender to their sex). Please name all relevant roles.
7. Whether you are a member of any Stonewall schemed including their “Diversity Champion” scheme
a. Whether you have been a member of any Stonewall schemes in the last 48 months.
B. Any application you have made to Stonewall to be a “Stonewall Diversity Champion” or to be included on Stonewall’s “Workplace Equality Index”.
Please provide any relevant documents that set out this information
1. Information relating to the total number of Looked After Children in your care
284
2. Information relating to the number of Looked After Children in your care currently who have expressed that they may be a different gender to their sex or expressed a wish to change their gender. I would like to know:
a. The total number of such children
In order to establish this accurately it would take over 18 hours as it would require a manual exercise to look at all children looked after to identify if they have expressed that they may be a different gender to their sex or expressed a wish to change their gender. If we were to exclude all children under the age of 5 this would require us to look at 239 children’s records and would likely take a minimum of 15 minutes per child given the information being requested to be confident that the information provided was accurate – 15 minutes x239 children 60 hours.
In addition, if you can provide the information below without identifying children, I would also like to know:
b. The number of such children aged 10 and under
c. The number of such children who are:
i. Biologically male; i.e. their sex at birth was male
ii. Biologically female; i.e. their sex at birth was female
Please see above response
3. Information relating to the number of Looked After Children in your care who have been referred to an NHS Service in the last 48 months due to their expression of gender dysphoria, gender incongruence, or the belief that their gender identity is different to their sex.
Please see above
4. Documents relating to any training or resources you have used from an external provider (charity or commercial organisation) on gender identity, sex and sexuality, or transition in the last 48 months.
a. If training has been provided, please provide details of the organisations who provided the training, the date, and the cost to the Local Authority.
Not applicable
5. A copy of all your policies relating to transgender or gender questioning Looked After Children.
No policies available
6. Who, if anyone, would the Local Authority consult before allowing a Looked After Child to socially transition (i.e. identify as a different gender to their sex). Please name all relevant roles.
Including but not limited to, parents with parental responsibility, young person, health professionals, other relevant professionals involved with the child/young person.
7. Whether you are a member of any Stonewall schemed including their “Diversity Champion” scheme
No
a. Whether you have been a member of any Stonewall schemes in the last 48 months.
No
b. Any application you have made to Stonewall to be a “Stonewall Diversity Champion” or to be included on Stonewall’s “Workplace Equality Index”.
No
Please provide any relevant documents that set out this information
N/A
In issuing our response the council have applied S12 of the Freedom of Information Act.
This means that the council does not have to comply with your request if the cost of doing so exceeds the ‘appropriate limit’, which for local authorities is 18 hours. This applies to the time taken spent locating and collating the requested information.
If you wish to narrow the scope of your request and resubmit this to the council then of course we may be able to provide this information.