Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the following information regarding child protection in the UK.

1.Please could you supply the name, email address and telephone number of the commissioner with responsibility for children in need of help and/or protection.
Acting Head of Service for Children in Need and Child Protection is Kimberley Fontana kimberley.fontama@wokingham.gov.uk

For questions 2-6 inclusive, please supply the following information as a total at the end of the year for the financial years 2021/22 - 2024/25 (year to date).
For questions 2-6 inclusive, please supply the following information specific to those cases where drug and/or alcohol misuse is a factor.
Data for period 2021/22 – 2023/24 is available on DfE website - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-children-in-need

2. Please advise on the number of children identified as children in need
As at 31/10/2024 = 643 including Children subject to child protection plans and children in care.

3. Please advise on the number of children who were subject to Section 47 enquiries
As at 31/10/2024 = 252

4. Please advise on the number of children who were subject to child protection conferences
As at 31/10/2024 = 112.

5. Please advise on the number of children who were the subject of a child protection plan
As at 31/10/2024 = 147.

6. Please advise on the number of children whose cases were taken to court proceedings concluding in care/placement/adoption orders – as at 31/10/2024
For the cases that concluded between 01/04/2024 and 31/10/2024 there were: 7 Care Orders granted, 6 Care Orders with Placement Orders granted. The data regarding Adoption Orders is not available.

7. Please advise as to which of the above stages may use drug and alcohol testing as evidence and reasons as to why it is/isn't used.
If a case features parental drug and alcohol misuse it is usual to request testing within Care Proceedings to provide evidence of change. If drug or alcohol misuse is not identified as an issue of concern, then testing is not requested.

8. For each financial year 2023/24 and 2024/25, how many hair drug and alcohol tests were conducted?
Data not available

9. In a situation where hair drug/alcohol testing is used as evidence, do you have a preferred provider for this service? If not, please provide a list of providers used in these cases and the total expenditure with each provider for financial years 2023/24 and 2024/25.
DNA Legal, Lextox and Cellmark. Financial data not available