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.

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3,004 disclosures

  1. Potholes and payouts

    I would like to make a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

    The National Highways definition of the Local Road Network is that portion of the Road Network for which a Local Government is responsible, and is eligible for funding from the State Government to operate and maintain.

    With this in mind, for the last full year for which figures are available, please would you disclose:

    1. The total number of potholes reported to your council across your Local Road Network.

    2. The total amount of money spent compensating drivers for successful claims for vehicle damage from potholes in your Local Road Network.

    3. The total value of funding allocated by your council for road maintenance, relating directly to pothole reports and repairs across your Local Road Network.

    Published: 4 April 2024

  2. School absence fines from 2018 - 2023

    Under the Freedom of Information Act, please provide me with information on the following:

    1) In your local authority area, confirm the total number of fines given as a result of absence from mainstream schools, broken down by school type - including primary, secondary and special schools, for the academic years of 2018/2019, 2021/2022, and 2022/2023.

    2) In your local authority, confirm the total number of individuals in receipt of a fine as a result of absence from mainstream school, broken down by school type - including primary, secondary, and special schools, for the academic years of 2018/2019, 2021/2022, and 2022/2023.

    3) In your local authority, confirm the total number of fines that were paid as a result of absence from mainstream school, broken down by school type - including primary, secondary, and special schools, for the academic years of 2018/2019, 2021/2022, and 2022/2023.

    Published: 4 April 2024

  3. Care leavers’ home allowance/leaving care grant

    I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from Children's Social care.

    Please can you provide information about the care leavers' setting up home allowance (sometimes known as the leaving care grant) in your local authority.

    Statutory guidance (Vol: 3 Planning Transitions to Adulthood for care leavers: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/61f81624d3bf7f78df30b359/CA1989_Transitions_Guidance.pdf) requires local authorities to provide a setting up home allowance to enable care leavers to purchase essentials (such as furniture, white goods and carpets/curtains) when they move into their first home.

    DfE guidance previously recommended that local authorities should pay a minimum of £2,000. The independent review into children's social care recommended that the minimum amount should be increased. Government increased the minimum recommended amount to £3,000 from April 2023. (See https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/648339e8103ca60013039ccf/Section_31_grant_determination_letter_for_leaving_care_allowance_uplift_implementation_grant__2023_to_2025.pdf)

    We would like to understand your local authority's policy on the setting home allowance and would like answers to the following questions. I have attached an excel template to provide this information.

    1. On the 1st March 2024, what was the total amount you offered to care leavers for their setting up home allowance/leaving care grant? (£)

    2. If on the 1st March 2024 the allowance/grant was less than £3,000, are there plans to increase it to £3,000 in 2024?

    3. If a care leaver has already accessed some or all of their grant/allowance and the amount received was lower than £3000, will they be able to request the uplift / difference between £3000 and what they have already received?

    4. Appendix E of the Transitions to Adulthood guidance specifies that all local authorities should have a policy that sets out the level of the setting up home allowance, how it will be used and any conditions for its use reflecting local priorities.

    a. Do you have a written policy on the setting up home allowance/leaving care grant ? (please attach a copy)

    b. If yes, when was this policy last reviewed? (date: Month-Year)

    5. Does your local authority pay for any of the following items for care leavers in addition to the setting up home allowance/leaving care grant?

    a. Broadband costs

    b. Carpets

    c. Cooking equipment

    d. First grocery shop

    e. Furniture

    f. House content insurance

    g. Mobile phone costs

    h. Redecoration costs of home

    i. TV licence

    j. Utility bills

    k. White goods

    i. Other (please describe)

    In addition, please send us any written policies and public information that is available on the setting up home allowance for care leavers (e.g. local offer for care leavers).

    Published: 4 April 2024

  4. Since Jan 2024 children subject to Care Orders and Children Protection Plans due to FII

    This request concerns characteristics that may be described as any of the following: Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII); Munchausen's syndrome by proxy; parental 'over-medicalisation' of their child; or 'perplexing presentations' with regards to the child's health. In the following questions, these descriptions will be referred to as "the described characteristics". Where questions ask for numerical figures regarding the described characteristics, all four descriptions should be counted collectively (rather than split four ways).

    1. Of the child protection plans that started in January 2024, did any involve concerns over the described characteristics?

    2. If the answer to question 1 is 'yes', how many involved concerns over the described characteristics?

    3. Of the care orders (excluding interim care orders) that the council was granted in January 2024, did any involve concerns over the described characteristics?

    4. If the answer to question 3 is 'yes', how many involved concerns over the described characteristics?

    5. Please provide the council's current policy on Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII), including definitions, warning signs, care/escalation pathways, and thresholds for intervention.

    Published: 3 April 2024

  5. Licensing Complaints for Wye Lounge Ross on Wye for last 2 years

    Please provide me with details of all complaints licensing have received regarding Wye Lounge (formerly Tweet Bar) in Ross-on-Wye for the last 2 years.

    Published: 3 April 2024

  6. S149 EQA 2010 duties done and recorded in relation to council tax rises

    Please provide the specific s149 EQA 2010 duties done and recorded in relation to Council Tax rises and how such have been assessed for those who hold protected characteristics.

    The duty has been in place since 2011 but I only require the last three years of such reviews.

    Published: 3 April 2024

  7. Property assets

    Please advise:

    1. The estimated total number of acres of land that you own.

    2. The estimated total number of acres that you own which are not in operational use.

    3. The annual spending on managing and maintaining your property that was not in operational use in the financial year 2022/23 - including costs for security, gardening, repairs and insurance. Please provide a breakdown.

    4. The number of golf courses you currently own.

    5. The number of farms you currently own.

    6. The number of commercial buildings you own. If possible please provide a breakdown by category - such as shops, offices, restaurants, pubs, hotels.

    7. The number of empty homes you currently own.

    8. The number of empty buildings you currently own that are not homes.

    Please provide a copy of your asset register.

    Published: 3 April 2024

  8. Funding and grants available to small businesses

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

    1. What funding (if any) do you offer to small businesses in the local area?

    2. How many grants (if any) do you offer to small businesses in the local area?

    3. If funding or grants are offered, please can you provide the specific monetary figures that are available to small businesses in the local area.

    4. How many grants, or funding offers, were applied for and successfully granted to small businesses in the calendar years 2021, 2022 and 2023.

    Published: 3 April 2024

  9. Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs

    1. Do you have a Multi-agency safeguarding hub or similar arrangement in which children's social care departments work alongside the Police, Health, Education and other partners to share information and make decisions about child safeguarding?

    2. If so when was this established?

    3. Are staff from the different agencies co-located?

    4. If staff are co-located when did this occur?

    5. For each year ending 31st March from 1st April 2007 to 2023 please provide:

    a. The number of strategy meetings held

    b. The number of children who have been the subject of a strategy meeting.

    Published: 3 April 2024

  10. Paper and Cardboard Recycling

    Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the following information regarding paper and cardboard recycling in your borough:

    • What are the contractual performance KPI's for this contract?

    • Suppliers who applied for inclusion on each framework/contract and were successful & not successful at the PQQ & ITT stages

    • Who is the current supplier?

    • Actual spend on this contract/framework (and any sub lots), from the start of the contract to the current date

    • Are there any processing facilities or MRFs utilised within the contract if so what the names and addresses?

    • How is your fibre processed (baled or loose)?

    • Where is the end destination of the fibre?

    • What is your current collection method (dual stream, single source, kerbside sort or comingled)

    • What tonnage per year do you produce by fibre grade?

    • Start date & duration of framework/contract?

    • Could you please provide a copy of the service/product specification given to all bidders for when this contract was last advertised?

    • Is there an extension clause in the framework(s)/contract(s) and, if so, the duration of the extension?

    • Has a decision been made yet on whether the framework(s)/contract(s) are being either extended or renewed?

    • Who is the senior officer (outside of procurement) responsible for this contract?

    • Are there any plans to change the existing service?

    Published: 2 April 2024