Emergency Police Child Protection Notices (1026A/21)
Request
1) How many Section 46 (of the Childrens Act 1989) Emergency Police Child Protection Notices your force has activated in each of the following years, ie where your force has taken removed children to a safe location to protect them from significant harm:
April 2018 – Mar 2019
April 2019 – Mar 2020
April 2020 – Mar 2021
2) How many children did your force flag as at ‘moderate or high / significant risk of Child Criminal Exploitation‘(ie where children are at a level of risk which requires referral to LA Children’s Services) in each of the following years:
April 2018 – Mar 2019
April 2019 – Mar 2020
April 2020 – Mar 2021
3) How many children did your force flag as at ‘moderate or high / significant risk of Child Sexual Exploitation‘(ie where children are at a level of risk which requires referral to LA Children’s Services) in each of the following years:
April 2018 – Mar 2019
April 2019 – Mar 2020
April 2020 – Mar 2021
4) How many incidents of Child Neglect did your force log in each of the following years:
April 2018 – Mar 2019
April 2019 – Mar 2020
April 2020 – Mar 2021
5) How many missing children (aged 17 and under)incidents have been reported by your force in each of the following years, and of those children, how many remain missing (cases are still open as of 31st Mar 2021):
April 2018 – Mar 2019
April 2019 – Mar 2020
April 2020 – Mar 2021
Response
Our data are not organised in such a way as to allow us to provide this information within the appropriate (cost) limit within the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.
With regard to question 1, we changed our recording processes for Section 46 notices in 2020, therefore, data prior to this is not stored in an electronically searchable format. With regard to questions 2, 3 and 4, we do not have markers or recording categories on our systems that would enable us to identify this specific information, therefore, this would require conducting a manual review of all relevant incidents for the requested period. For example, with regard to question 3, we would need to retrieve all records with a CSE flag (there are in excess of 2,300 for the requested time period) and then manually review these to determine the level of risk. To conduct these manual searches however, would exceed the appropriate limit (FOIA, s.12).
This means that the cost of providing you with the information is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond i.e. the cost of locating and retrieving the information exceeds the ‘appropriate level’ as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice for this request.
However, in accordance with Section 16 of the Act I have a duty to provide advice and assistance in relation to your request. Therefore, with regard to question 1:
April 2020 – Mar 2021 = 756
With regard to question 5 I can advise we have recently disclosed relevant information (missing children for the requested time period) which can be found on our website at the following link: https://foi.west-midlands.police.uk/missing-persons-932a-21/
However, due to the reasons outlined above, I am unable to suggest any practical way in which the remainder of your request may be modified in order to satisfy your query or bring it within the 18 hours stipulated by the Regulations. I am however willing to consider any refinements that you are able to make to your request, in accordance with Section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act.
Further information on section 12 of FOI is available here:
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