Freedom of information (FOI) disclosure log
23366
Date Sent: June 17, 2026
Conclusion: Released In Full
Description: I am writing to submit a formal request for information under the UK Freedom of Information Act 2000. This request concerns the structural governance of children’s services within the district, specifically regarding the administrative recommendation presented at the Full Council Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday 20th May 2026 to disband, scrap, or structurally merge the standalone Corporate Parenting Committee. To ensure comprehensive compliance with the Act, please provide all recorded information, including internal and external electronic communications (emails), cabinet memos, briefing papers, legal evaluations, draft proposals, and financial spreadsheets, held by Wakefield Council regarding the following seven distinct clauses: 1. Identity of Decision-Makers and Origin of Directive • Provide all recorded correspondence, minutes from closed executive leadership team (ELT) meetings, or leader/cabinet briefings detailing which specific individuals (including the Executive Leader, Cabinet Members, Chief Executive, or Corporate Director for Children and Young People) initiated, designed, or authorised the recommendation brought to the 20th May 2026 Full Council meeting to dissolve this committee. 2. Project Cost Savings and Financial Appraisals • Provide the complete business case, financial analysis, or savings projections associated with this removal. • Itemise the exact financial metrics expected to be saved by scrapping the committee, including but not limited to: member special responsibility allowances (SRAs), dedicated democratic services officer hours, administrative print/distribution costs, and venue upkeep resources. 3. Strategic Implications of Committee Removal • Provide all strategic planning documents or impact assessments outlining the structural consequences of removing this committee. • Provide details on how the council intends to maintain oversight over operational mechanisms previously governed by this committee, specifically: the tracking of out-of-district residential care costs, local fostering incentive allocations (e.g., Council Tax reductions), and the coordination of the Care4us Awards. 4. Disclosing Identified Safeguarding Risks • Provide the complete risk register, corporate risk log entries, or equality impact assessments (EIAs) generated in relation to this proposal. • Disclose all recorded text detailing the explicit legal, reputational, or safeguarding hazards identified by council staff regarding how the removal of this dedicated forum could impact vulnerable looked-after youth and care leavers. 5. Documented Benefits and Functional Benchmarks of the Extinct Committee • Provide copies of the internal performance reviews, end-of-year logs, or exit evaluations that define what the Corporate Parenting Committee achieved during its lifespan. • This must include any data acknowledging its specific value in monitoring child dental/GP registrations, implementing the Mockingbird fostering model, and driving the political oversight that successfully upgraded Wakefield's children's services from an Ofsted rating of "Inadequate" to "Good". 6. Maintenance of the Legal Duty to the Children Act • Provide any written legal advice, counsel opinions, or internal legal department memos verifying how the council will continue to legally discharge its statutory duties under Section 1 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 without a dedicated standalone committee to execute these principles. 7. Impact on Transparency, Scrutiny, and Accountability • Provide all recorded information analysing how removing this committee affects democratic transparency. • Disclose any text assessing how backbench councillors, the public, and care-experienced youth will retain an open, public forum to challenge executive cabinet decisions if these matters are absorbed into wider, less-focused scrutiny panels.
Attachments: FOI_Response 501.docx