Referrals

Summary

The requester asked for annual school referral data to mental health services from 2016 to 2020, and the Department of Education provided partial figures while noting that not all schools maintain such records.

Key Facts

• The Department of Education does not hold complete data as not all schools keep records of annual referrals.
• Collating the missing data would require searching individual pupil files, which is exempt under Section 8(3) of the FOI Act 2015.
• The Department advised that the Department of Health and Social Care (CAMHS) may hold more comprehensive data.
• An updated response was issued on 21 December 2020 after receiving data from the majority of schools.
• One school's response was outstanding at the time of the initial response but included in the update.

Data Disclosed

• 2016
• 2017
• 2018
• 2019
• 2020
• 21
• 17
• 38
• 36
• 40
• 223
• 15
• 30
• 24
• 23
• 161
• 39
• 1555077
• 2020-11-11
• 2020-12-08
• 2020-12-14
• 2020-12-21
• 2020-12-30

Exemptions Cited

• Section 8(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (no requirement to create, derive, research, analyze, or substantially compile information)

Original Request

Hello, I am requesting the data held on annual school referrals to mental health services from 2016 until present date.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Corporate Services Division Department of Education, Sport and Culture Hamilton House Peel Road, Douglas IM1 5EZ Telephone: (01624) 685808 Website: www.gov.im/dec Email: dec@foi.gov.im Our ref: 1555077

21 December 2020 Dear ###, We write further to your request which was received on 11 November 2020 and which states: "Hello, I am requesting the data held on annual school referrals to mental health services from 2016 until present date." Our clarification request In order to identify and locate the information that you have asked for we needed to understand what specific data you were requesting about the referrals and which school or schools the information is for. In addition to this we also needed to clarify if mental health services is referring to the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) only or is it referring to more than one mental health service. You advised “I am requesting the data held on the number of school referrals per annum, to any mental health services for children and adolescents up until 18yrs from 2016 to 2020. This is to include schools and Higher Education Island wide. I don't need it broken down by individual schools, just the general figures for primary schools, secondary schools and further education.” Original response (as of 14 December 2020) Our response to your request is as follows: I have enclosed the information that is held. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Department does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested. This is because not all of the schools keep records of the number of annual referrals made. To collate the information requested would require the schools to search through pupil’s individual files. Where the information is not held section 8 (3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 states;

Nothing in this Act requires a public authority to – (a) Create or derive information from information that it holds; (b) Undertake research into, or analysis of, information that it holds. (c) Undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds. In the interests of completeness the Department has sought the number of referrals from Schools themselves. To date, the majority of Schools have responded, however responses from one School is outstanding. As soon as this remaining school has responded we will provide an updated response and aim to provide this by Wednesday 30th December. By way of advice and assistance all of the information requested may be held by CAMHS, Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), as referrals can be made in numerous other ways, as well as through the pupils school. If you wish to request this information from DHSC you will need to make a separate FoI request to that office for the information. Updated response I have enclosed the updated information that is held. Please quote the reference number 1555077 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision.

More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely

Freedom of Information Coordinator

Freedom of Information request 1555077 School referrals to mental health services 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Total* Primary Schools 21 17 38 36 40 223 Secondary Schools 15 30 24 23 161 Higher Education (UCM) 39 do not hold the information on the number of referrals per year and this is why the number of referrals per year added together does not match the totals column. * Please note some schools hold the information on the total number of referrals only and