Off-island placements for adults and children (FOI)

Request

A

In 2022 how many children were in off island placements due to lack of provision for their needs in Jersey?

B

What was total annualised cost of this including family visit travel and social worker and professional involvement?

C

In 2022 how many adults were in off island placements due to lack of provision for their needs in Jersey?

D

What was total annualised cost of this including family visit travel and social worker and professional involvement?

Response

A

In 2022 and, following permission from the Royal Court as required, there were 20 children in placements off island which were assessed as best suiting their needs and family circumstances.

B

The total annualised off island placement costs equated to £3,568,641.35.

Please note family visit travel and social worker/professional involvement costs are not included in the total provided. This information is not held in a recordable format; therefore Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

C and D

The number of UK placements arranged through Health and Community Services (HCS) for those requiring care off-island for a mental health illness or learning disability was published on www.gov.je in a Freedom of Information response in March 2023:

Off-island mental health patient numbers (FOI)

As this information is available elsewhere, Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

The total cost of adult off-island mental health placements in 2022 was £4,181,036. This includes direct placement / care costs, travel, and the cost of a dedicated nurse who coordinates and monitors all off-island placements, as well as facilitating discharge and return to Jersey. It is important to note that these are placements where the specialist clinical provision (such as secure mental health care or specialist inpatient eating disorder services) are not available locally. 

In respect of medical or surgical patients requiring placement for non-acute treatment in the UK (such as specialist rehabilitation following traumatic injury), the central records for Overseas Treatment do not distinguish between care provision for acute and non-acute requirements. Reason for admission or treatment delivered will be recorded in individual medical records. Examining the records of all HCS service users that required off-island care through 2022 to determine which are in scope of this request would exceed the timescales prescribed in the Freedom of Information (Costs) (Jersey) Regulations 2014. Therefore, Article 16 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied in this respect.

Articles applied 

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

Article 16 - A scheduled public authority may refuse to supply information if cost excessive

(1) A scheduled public authority that has been requested to supply information may refuse to supply the information if it estimates that the cost of doing so would exceed an amount determined in the manner prescribed by Regulations. 

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.