§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of children who have been in social services care in the west midlands region in each year since 1979 and the number of staff who have been employed to look after them during the same period.
§ Mr. John PattenComplete information is not available in the form specified. Information on the numbers of children in the care of each of the local authorities in the west midlands region at 31 March 1983 and 1984 (where available) is given in the table. Information relating to 30 September 1983 on the numbers of staff employed by their social services departments to look after children in care who are accommodated in maintained/controlled community homes is also given. Information for previous years is given in the Department's annual publications entitled respectively "Children in Care of Local Authorities—England" and "Staff of Local Authority Social Services Departments —England", copies of which are in the Library.
Other categories of staff, for example, social workers, are also involved with children and young persons in care, but it is not possible to determine how much of their time is devoted to such children. These other categories of staff are enumerated in my other reply to the hon. Member today.
Social work, children's homes, administration, day nurseries and day centres and mental illness and handicap homes.
§ Mr. John PattenInformation relating to 30 September 1983 on the numbers of staff employed by each of the social services departments in the west midlands region in the selected categories is given in the table. Information for previous years is given in the 487W Department's annual publication entitled "Staff of Local Authority Social Services Departments — England", copies of which are in the Library.
West Midlands (Local Authorities) Selected Categories of Staff employed by Social Services Departments Number of whole-time equivalents as at 30 September 1983 Hereford and Worcester Shropshire Staffordshire Warwickshire Birmingham Coventry Dudley Sandwell Solihull Walsall Wolverhampton Management and advisory staff 46.7 30.0 na 31.0 102.0 24.0 19.0 14.0 18.0 20.0 na Other administrative and ancillary staff 152.3 57.9 na 119.5 387.1 150.5 79.8 81.0 24.7 92.8 na Social work staff 249.4 137.0 na 178.0 666.4 237.2 125.0 146.9 66.5 116.6 na Home Help service staff 658.0 264.0 na 553.0 1,410.7 432.9 294.2 342.5 139.0 225.0 na Staff of Adult Training Centres 79.6 83.1 na 71.5 191.5 78.4 48.7 49.0 62.5 62.8 na Staff of Day Centres 61.9 6.4 na 9.2 169.4 81.6 18.8 44.7 2.0 39.7 na Staff of homes for the elderly and elderly mentally infirm 686.3 443.5 na 470.0 1,263.7 346.1 243.2 424.1 144.5 364.4 na Staff of homes and hostels for the mentally ill 16.2 8.0 na — — 17.3 — 1.1 17.3 14.0 na Staff of homes and hostels for mentally handicapped adults 67.5 44.0 na 15.5 139.0 51.2 19.0 41.2 38.4 70.2 na Staff of homes and hostels for mentally handicapped children 47.3 — na 23.2 — 27.5 — 8.2 — 10.1 na Staff of maintained/controlled community homes for children in care 227.2 89.2 na 91.7 857.6 182.4 49.7 99.3 51.0 70.0 na Staff of day nurseries 24.7 — na — 422.1 142.0 — 45.9 14.2 32.7 na Staff of part-time nursery groups 4.0 — na 3.5 — — 0.5 1.2 — 10.1 na na = Not available.