Gender/Looked After Children
Case reference FOI2024/01133
Received 1 July 2024
Published 25 July 2024
Request
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:
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.
* 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
* Whether you have been a member of any Stonewall schemes in the last 48 months.
* 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
Response
1. Information relating to the total number of Looked After Children in your care
A: We currently have 385 children in 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:
* The total number of such children
In addition, if you can provide the information below without identifying children, I would also like to know:
* The number of such children aged 10 and under
* 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
A: This information 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. This would require a manual check of 385 children’s cases, taking approximately 1 hour per file.
This would at a conservative estimate take at least 385 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.
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.
A: This information 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. Reviewing data from the last 48 months would mean over 450 children’s cases need to be manually reviewed, taking approximately 1 hour per file.
This would at a conservative estimate take at least 450 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.
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.
* If training has been provided, please provide details of the organisations who provided the training, the date, and the cost to the Local Authority.
A:
Training provided: 1 x 1 hour Webinar
Provided by: Inclusive Employers
Date: 18 June 2024
Cost: No additional cost
5. A copy of all your policies relating to transgender or gender questioning Looked After Children.
A: This information is publically available on Procedures Online and can be viewed via the following link:
Providing Personalised Care (proceduresonline.com)
As such we consider this information to be exempt under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because it is reasonably accessible to you via other means. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.
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.
A: This would be discussed at reviews
7. Whether you are a member of any Stonewall schemed including their “Diversity Champion” scheme
* Whether you have been a member of any Stonewall schemes in the last 48 months.
* 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
A: No
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.