Section 20
Case reference FOI2026/01882
Received 6 August 2026
Published 25 August 2026
Request
1. How many children were in care under a section 47 as of 01/08/2026?
2. How many children were in care under a section 31 as of 01/08/2026?
3. How many children were in care under a section 20 as of 01/08/2026?
4. How many children were in care under a section 20 in care over 1 year but not more than 2 years as of 01/08/2026?
5. How many children were in care under a section 20 in care over 2 years but not more than 3 years as of 01/08/2026?
6. How many children were in care under a section 20 in care over 3 years but not more than 4 years as of 01/08/2026?
7. How many children were in care under a section 20 in care over 4 years but not more than 5 years as of 01/08/2026?
8. How many foster carers do not share address, phone number or meet face to face with the parent(s) of S20 children in their care for less than 1 year as of 01/08/2026?
9. How many foster families do not share address, phone number or meet face to face with the parent(s) of S20 children in their care for more than 1 year and less than 2 years?
10. How many foster families do not share address, phone number or meet face to face with the parent(s) of S20 children in their care for more than 2 years but less than 3 years?
11. How many foster families do not share address, phone number or meet face to face with the parent(s) of S20 children in their care for more than 3 years but less than 4 years?
12. How many foster families do not share address, phone number or meet face to face with the parent(s) of S20 children in their care for more than 4 years but less than 5 years?
13. Do you record if parent(s)of a child in care has neurodiversity? If so: How many parents, of children under a S20 (for any length of time), have been diagnosed with neurodiversity (I am not requesting to know what the neurodiversity is rather how many parents have neurodiversity)?
From:
• 23/08/20 to 22/08/21
• 23/08/21 to 22/08/22
• 23/08/22 to 22/08/23
• 23/08/23 to 22/08/24
• 23/08/24 to 22/08/25
• 23/08/25 to 22/08/26
14. How many families under a S20 have had a global or holistic or family psychological assessment e.g. CAFCASS for S47 or similar at any time whilst the child has been in foster care for any length of time provided by Children’s Services. If so, how many families have been supported with this intervention?
From:
• 23/08/20 to 22/08/21
• 23/08/21 to 22/08/22
• 23/08/22 to 22/08/23
• 23/08/23 to 22/08/24
• 23/08/24 to 22/08/25
• 23/08/25 to 22/08/26
15. Do you advocate a Trauma informed approach to meetings with parent(s) as per ‘Research in Practice’ (https://www.researchinpractice.org.uk). If so when did you commence this approach?
Response
1. How many children were in care under a section 47 as of 01/08/2026?
2. How many children were in care under a section 31 as of 01/08/2026?
3. How many children were in care under a section 20 as of 01/08/2026?
4. How many children were in care under a section 20 in care over 1 year but not more than 2 years as of 01/08/2026?
5. How many children were in care under a section 20 in care over 2 years but not more than 3 years as of 01/08/2026?
6. How many children were in care under a section 20 in care over 3 years but not more than 4 years as of 01/08/2026?
7. How many children were in care under a section 20 in care over 4 years but not more than 5 years as of 01/08/2026?
8. How many foster carers do not share address, phone number or meet face to face with the parent(s) of S20 children in their care for less than 1 year as of 01/08/2026?
9. How many foster families do not share address, phone number or meet face to face with the parent(s) of S20 children in their care for more than 1 year and less than 2 years?
10. How many foster families do not share address, phone number or meet face to face with the parent(s) of S20 children in their care for more than 2 years but less than 3 years?
11. How many foster families do not share address, phone number or meet face to face with the parent(s) of S20 children in their care for more than 3 years but less than 4 years?
12. How many foster families do not share address, phone number or meet face to face with the parent(s) of S20 children in their care for more than 4 years but less than 5 years?
13. Do you record if parent(s)of a child in care has neurodiversity? If so: How many parents, of children under a S20 (for any length of time), have been diagnosed with neurodiversity (I am not requesting to know what the neurodiversity is rather how many parents have neurodiversity)?
From:
• 23/08/20 to 22/08/21
• 23/08/21 to 22/08/22
• 23/08/22 to 22/08/23
• 23/08/23 to 22/08/24
• 23/08/24 to 22/08/25
• 23/08/25 to 22/08/26
14. How many families under a S20 have had a global or holistic or family psychological assessment e.g. CAFCASS for S47 or similar at any time whilst the child has been in foster care for any length of time provided by Children’s Services. If so, how many families have been supported with this intervention?
From:
• 23/08/20 to 22/08/21
• 23/08/21 to 22/08/22
• 23/08/22 to 22/08/23
• 23/08/23 to 22/08/24
• 23/08/24 to 22/08/25
• 23/08/25 to 22/08/26
15. Do you advocate a Trauma informed approach to meetings with parent(s) as per ‘Research in Practice’ (https://www.researchinpractice.org.uk). If so when did you commence this approach?
Answer: The information for question 14 is not held in a form that would enable it to be located, retrieved and extracted within the Appropriate Time Limit which equates to 18 hours as defined by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limits and Fees) Regulations 2004.
Our electronic reporting systems are unable to run a report for this information. To ascertain the data requested, officers would need to manually check individual files for this information. An initial search has shown that 412 files would need to be checked for this information, and it is estimated that it would take at least 5 minutes to check each file. Once the details had been identified this would need to be noted and once all files had been checked in this way, the total figures requested could be calculated.
This would at a conservative estimate take at least 34 hours to complete. Where the Limit is exceeded Public Authorities are not obliged to supply the information requested by virtue of S12 of the Act. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.
However, within the 18 hour limit, we can provide answers for all remaining questions as requested, however please be advised other exemptions may be applicable. Please advise us if this is something you require.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.