Freedom of information (FOI) releases from Herefordshire Council

This is a disclosure log of Herefordshire Council's responses to freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) requests that might be of wider public interest.

If you can't find the information you're looking for, you can make a new FOI request.

Filters

Clear filters

  • Keywords filters

  • Year filters

  • Month filters

3,080 disclosures

  1. Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) and Community-Based Cognitive Health Services

    I am writing to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for factual information relating to your Local Authority’s commissioning and provision of post-diagnostic dementia support, Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST), and community-based cognitive health services.

    Context and Intended Use

    This request is made as part of pathway mapping for an NIHR-funded feasibility study (NIHR510823: Early Digital CST for Dementia) and will require the input of adult social care.

    We are requesting information from Local Authorities to understand how dementia support is commissioned and delivered across social care in England.

    Aggregated findings may be published in a peer-reviewed journal and as part of the NIHR final report. Individual Local Authorities will not be identified by name without prior agreement. I include this context in the interests of transparency.

    All questions relate to the most recent 12-month period for which data is available unless otherwise specified. Please indicate the period covered in your response.

    SECTION A: CST AND COGNITIVE SUPPORT PROVISION

    A1. Does your Local Authority currently commission, fund, or provide Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) for people with dementia, either directly or through funded partners?

    Response: Yes / No

    A2. If yes, which organisation(s) deliver CST or structured cognitive support funded by your Local Authority?

    Response: Organisation name(s)

    A3. How many individuals received CST funded by your Local Authority during the most recent 12-month period?

    Response: Number (or estimate)

    A4. Does your Local Authority currently fund any structured cognitive support programmes for people with dementia other than CST?

    Response: Yes / No

    A5. If yes, please provide the name(s) of the programme(s).

    Response: Name(s)

    A6. Is there currently a waiting list for CST or structured cognitive support funded by your Local Authority?

    Response: Yes / No / Not held

    A7. If yes, how many people are currently waiting?

    Response: Number / Not held

    A8. What is the average waiting time from referral to commencement of CST or structured cognitive support?

    Response: Number of weeks / Not held

    A9. In which setting(s) is CST or structured cognitive support delivered?

    Response: Day centre / Community venue / Care home / Person's home / Online / Other

    A10. Which service(s) most commonly refer people into CST or structured cognitive support?

    Response: Memory service / Adult Social Care team / GP / Community mental health service / Voluntary sector organisation / Self-referral / Other

    A11. Who primarily delivers CST or structured cognitive support commissioned by your Local Authority?

    Response: Local Authority service / NHS provider / Voluntary sector provider / Independent provider / Mixed model

    SECTION B: DAY SERVICES AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT

    B1. Approximately how many people with a recorded dementia diagnosis are currently receiving Adult Social Care services (excluding residential and nursing care)?

    Response: Number (or estimate)

    B2. How many dementia-specific day service places does your Local Authority currently commission or provide?

    Response: Number

    B3. Has the number of dementia-specific day service places increased, decreased, or remained the same during the last three years?

    Response: Increased / Decreased / Remained the same

    SECTION C: CARER SUPPORT

    C1. Does your Local Authority commission or fund support services specifically for unpaid carers of people with dementia?

    Response: Yes / No

    C2. Does your Local Authority offer or fund training or education programmes for carers of people with dementia?

    Response: Yes / No

    SECTION D: FALLS AND CARE CO-ORDINATION

    D1. Does your Local Authority have a specific protocol, pathway, or formal arrangement linking dementia support services with falls prevention services?

    Response: Yes / No

    SECTION E: DIGITAL APPROACHES

    E1. Has your Local Authority commissioned, piloted, funded, or evaluated any digital or technology-enabled cognitive intervention for people with dementia?

    Response: Yes / No

    E2. If yes, please provide the name of the technology and provider organisation.

    Response: Name(s)

    SECTION F: WORKFORCE

    F1. Which staff group(s) currently deliver CST or structured cognitive support within services funded by your Local Authority?

    Response: Occupational therapist / Dementia support worker / Social care worker / Activity coordinator / Voluntary sector staff / Other

    F2. Has your Local Authority identified workforce capacity as a barrier to providing CST or structured cognitive support at scale?

    Response: Yes / No

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    If any part of the request is unclear, or if information is not held, I would welcome a brief indication of this rather than refusal of the request in its entirety. I am happy to discuss refinements in accordance with your duty to advise and assist under Section 16 of the Act.

    Please provide information electronically where possible.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

    CLARIFICATION REQUESTED:

    Please can we ask for clarification re. Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST). Please can this be clarified as to how the Requester defines this as a local authority service, as this is usually a health service.

    CLARIFICATION RECEIVED:

    If you do not deliver Cognitive Stimulation Therapy because the health service does that’s fine however it would be helpful to understand what if any support the Council provides to those with Dementia and/or Memory and Cognition needs.

    Published: 17 July 2026

  2. Parking Permits 2024-2026

    Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following information relating to residential parking permits in your council area.

    By residential parking permits, I mean permits issued to residents for parking within controlled/resident parking zones or resident-only parking schemes.

    Please provide the data by calendar year where possible, covering: 2024, 2025 and 2026 to date (up until 31st May).

    If your council does not hold this information by calendar year, please provide the same data by financial year instead, covering: 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26.

    Please clearly state whether the figures provided are calendar-year or financial-year figures.

    1 - How many residential parking permits were issued in each of the requested years/periods?

    2 - How much revenue did the council receive from residential parking permits in each of the requested years/periods?

    3 - As of 31st May 2026, what is the current annual cost of a residential parking permit?

    Please provide:

    a. the cheapest annual residential permit available

    b. the standard/default first residential permit cost

    c. the cost of a second residential permit, if applicable

    d. the most expensive annual residential permit available

    4 - What was the cost of the standard/default first residential permit in each of the requested years/periods?

    If the cost changed during a year, please provide the date the change took effect.

    5 - Does the council currently operate a waiting list for residential parking permits? If yes, please provide:

    a. current number of applicants on the waiting list

    b. average waiting time, if held

    c. longest current waiting time, if held

    d. zone/area with the longest wait or highest number of applicants, if held

    6 - Does the cost of a residential parking permit vary by street, zone, area, emissions band, vehicle type, or number of permits per household?

    If yes, please briefly explain the basis for the variation and provide the current minimum and maximum annual charges.

    Published: 17 July 2026

  3. Supported exempt accommodation: current charge levels and provider process

    This request concerns supported "exempt accommodation" — supported housing falling within the definition at Schedule 3, paragraph 4(10) of the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Consequential Provisions) Regulations 2006, where Housing Benefit meets rent and eligible service and support charges.

    To keep this request within the cost limit, every question is intended to be answerable from a current summary report or system snapshot. I am NOT asking for any case-by-case file examination, any itemised breakdown of individual claims, any multi-year history, or any information identifying individual claimants or specific providers. Where a question cannot be answered as worded without exceeding the cost limit, please answer the nearest part that can be, rather than refusing the whole. Charge levels (primary)

    1. As a current snapshot on the date you extract the data, for live Housing Benefit claims in supported exempt accommodation, please provide the lowest, average, median and highest WEEKLY eligible amount used in the Housing Benefit calculation, inclusive of core rent plus eligible service and support charges (i.e. the gross eligible figure).

    2. If your system allows it from the same summary report, please give the same four figures (lowest, average, median, highest weekly gross eligible amount) restricted to claims where the landlord is NOT a registered provider of social housing (i.e. private landlords, community interest companies or charities). If this split is not readily available, please answer question 1 only. Provider process (secondary)

    3. What is the process for a landlord or provider to have a property accepted as supported exempt accommodation by your authority? A brief description or a link to a published process is sufficient.

    4. Which team or role within the authority assesses and decides whether accommodation qualifies as supported exempt accommodation?

    5. How does your authority treat supported exempt accommodation for planning purposes — is there a standard use class or planning treatment applied, or is each site considered individually?

    Please provide the information electronically.

    If you intend to refuse any part under the cost limit, I would be grateful if you would tell me which part, so I can consider narrowing it.

    Published: 17 July 2026

  4. Bridge Inspections, Intervals and Extension Approvals

    For every highway structure within your authority's inventory, please provide the following, ideally as a single spreadsheet with one row per structure:

    1. a) The structure name and unique identifier or reference number.

    1. b) The asset type (for example, bridge, culvert, retaining wall, or footbridge) and the span or length, where held.

    1. c) Confirmation of ownership and maintenance responsibility (i.e. whether the structure is maintained by your authority, a third party, or held under a Rights of Way designation), so that responsibility for each structure is unambiguous.

    1. d) The date of the most recent General Inspection.

    1. e) The date of the most recent Principal Inspection.

    1. f) The scheduled date of the next Principal Inspection.

    1. g) The inspection interval currently applied to the structure, in years, and whether this is the standard six-year interval under CS450 and the Well-managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice, or an extended interval.

    2. For any structure where the Principal Inspection interval has been extended to ten years or more under a risk-based assessment, please provide, for that structure individually rather than as a general policy statement:

    2. a) The date on which the extension was approved.

    2. b) The role or team responsible for approving the extension (for example, Principal Engineer or the Bridges and Structures Team), without needing the name of the individual officer.

    2. c) The methodology or criteria used to justify the extension under your risk-based assessment process.

    3. The date on which your authority's current risk-based variable interval policy (if you operate one) came into force, and what governed Principal Inspection intervals for structures last inspected before that date.

    4. Confirmation of whether this disclosure represents your authority's complete inventory of highway structures, or whether any structures, or any historical inspection records, are held separately (for example in a legacy asset management system not reflected in this return).

    5. Confirmation of whether any dates in the disclosed data are system defaults, placeholders, or otherwise not genuine inspection dates, and if so, which records these affect.

    Published: 16 July 2026

  5. Paupers Funerals 01/05/2026

    This is a new request for new information only. This is not a repeat request.

    Please could you kindly send me any information you may hold relating to 'public health act' or 'welfare' or 'contract' or 'paupers' funerals having taken place or due to take place, and/or persons who have died with no known next of kin since 1/5/26 to the day of your reply. Please include:

    1. full names of deceased persons,

    2. dates of death,

    3. marital status,

    4. maiden surnames of married or widowed females,

    5. dates of birth or ages at death,

    6. last known addresses,

    7. estimated value of estates,

    8. date(s) when the information was passed (or information that is about to be or likely to be passed) to the Government Legal Department (formerly Treasury Solicitor) or the Duchy of Lancaster or Cornwall or any other 3rd party, or, confirmation that this will not be happening and the reason why.

    If your authority holds this information on your website, please confirm whether or not your website information is up to date and provide a link to this. If it is not please provide full details of any unpublished cases, as per the questions above.

    I should be grateful if you would supply the information as soon as convenient.

    Published: 15 July 2026

  6. Cleaning and Facilities Management

    I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

    I would be grateful if you could provide the following information in relation to commercial cleaning and associated facilities services contracts currently held or recently awarded by your local authority.

    1. Current Contracts

    A list of all current contracts for cleaning services (including but not limited to general cleaning, specialist cleaning, window cleaning, washroom services, and janitorial supplies).

    For each contract, please provide:

    a) Supplier name

    b) Contract start date

    c) Contract end date (including extension options)

    d) Total contract value (or annual value where total is unavailable)

    e) Description/scope of services

    f) Schools included within scope (in-house vs traded services)

    g) Contract reference number (if applicable)

    2. Framework Agreements

    Details of any frameworks used to procure cleaning services, including:

    a) Framework name and provider (e.g. CCS, ESPO, NHS SBS, etc.)

    b) Lot number(s) utilised

    c) Whether the contract was awarded via direct award or mini competition

    3. Upcoming Opportunities

    Details of any cleaning-related contracts due to expire within the next 24 months, including:

    a) Current supplier

    b) Expected re-tender date

    c) Indicative contract value (if available)

    4. Incumbent Performance / Structure (if held)

    a) Contract management structure (e.g. in-house vs outsourced management)

    b) Use of KPIs or performance frameworks

    c) Any known plans to change delivery model (e.g. outsourcing, bundling with other FM services)

    5. Spend Data

    Annual spend on cleaning services for the last 3 financial years (if available)

    6. Additional Relevant Information

    a) Any strategies, policies, or initiatives relating to cleaning services, including:

    i) Sustainability or environmental requirements

    ii) Social value expectations

    iii) Use of technology (e.g. sensors, CAFM systems)

    Published: 15 July 2026

  7. Electively Home Educated Children and those Receiving EOTAS, 1st - 25th June 2026

    Please provide me with a copy of the following information for the period 1st - 25th June 2026 (inclusive):

    1) The number of children aged 5 - 16 who were known to be electively home educated within your authority’s area.

    2) The number of known home educated children who were identified as having a special educational need/disability (SEND).

    3) Of those home educated children identified in query 2 as having SEND, the number who had an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

    4) The number of council officers employed to work specifically with the families who are known to electively home educate a child, including job titles and annual hours of employment (e.g. 1 home education liaison officer 20 hours/week term time only, 1 home education liaison officer 30 hours/week 52 weeks/year, 1 Administrative Assistant 14 hours/week term time only).

    If the officer does work other than with electively home educating families, please indicate how many hours are dedicated to the work supporting elective home education.

    5) The number of children aged 5 - 16 who were on a school roll and receiving EOTAS/EOTIS (Education Otherwise Than At/In A School).

    Published: 14 July 2026

  8. Services Procurement: Statement of Work (SOW) / Project-Based Delivery & Professional Services

    I am writing to request information regarding your organisation's current approach to Services Procurement, particularly in relation to Statement of Work (SOW) / project-based delivery and professional services.

    Specifically, I would be grateful if you could provide information on the following:

    1) How SOW or project-based services are currently procured and managed.

    2) Who the lead supplier(s) are for these services.

    3) The procurement routes or frameworks typically utilised by the authority.

    4) The types of programmes or projects most commonly delivered through this model (e.g. digital, transformation, workforce).

    5) Which internal functions are responsible for managing these engagements (e.g. procurement, HR, transformation teams).

    6) Any current challenges, priorities, or strategic focus areas in relation to Services Procurement.

    7) The renewal or expiry dates of any existing contracts relating to Services Procurement Service.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    If possible, please provide this information in line with your obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

    If any part of this request is unclear, please do not hesitate to contact me for clarification.

    Published: 14 July 2026

  9. Assaults in Educational Establishments

    I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act.

    I am seeking the following information, preferably in the format of an Excel spreadsheet.

    Please provide me with the following information regarding reported assaults on staff at educational establishments in the academic year 2024/2025:

    1. Date of alleged assault

    2. Type of educational establishment (e.g. Primary School, Special School)

    3. Victim of assault (e.g. teacher, teaching assistant, lunchtime assistant)

    4. Type of assault(physical/verbal/threat (if physical assault, please give as much information as possible)

    5. Any injuries sustained by member of staff

    6. Age of pupil involved

    7. Outcome of assault (e.g. suspension, expulsion, police called)

    Published: 14 July 2026

  10. Primary School Catchment Areas (2010–Present)

    Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following information:

    1) The catchment areas for all primary schools within your local authority, covering the period 2010 to the present day.

    2) Where catchment areas have changed during this period, please include the relevant boundaries and effective dates for each version.

    Published: 13 July 2026