FOI

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Q3b. The number of families currently receiving respite/short breaks?

A3b. There are 20 families receiving Short Breaks in the Trust area.

Q4. Copies of any board papers, business cases, reports, or meeting minutes where the decision was taken to change Redwood House from a short breaks/respite facility to a children’s home.

A4. Redwood House was initially identified by the Trust as a potential Home which could have delivered Short Breaks. However, through discussion with the Trust Estates Department, Redwood House was ruled out as a Short Breaks Home as it did not comply with the build and design requirements governed by the Northern Ireland Fire Health Technical Memorandum 84 (2010). There were a number of ongoing discussions between Children’s Services and the Estates Department which informed the conclusion that Redwood House would not have been appropriate as a Short Breaks Home, primarily because the property spanned over two floors with only one means of fire escape from the first floor. There are no copies of board papers, business cases, reports, or meeting minutes which reflected the decision-making process as the matter was not subject to Trust Board scrutiny, or captured in a business case.

Q5. Any impact assessments, reviews, or analyses that considered how this change would affect families currently waiting for or receiving respite/short breaks.

A5. The build and design of Redwood House, as cited above, was not deemed suitable for the provision of Residential Short Breaks due to the provisions detailed in the Northern Ireland Fire Health Technical Memorandum 84 (2010). Therefore, the Trust did not pursue conducting impact assessments and reviews of a proposal that would not be progressing.

Q6. Any financial or staffing assessments that compared the projected costs of operating Redwood House as a short breaks service versus as a children’s home.

A6. The Trust did not carry out financial or staffing assessments that compared the projected costs of operating Redwood House as a short breaks service versus as a children’s home.

Q7. Any correspondence with regulators (e.g., RQIA) about registering or approving Redwood House as a children’s home.

A7. The Trust is in the final process of having Redwood House registered as a Children’s Home and will forward the letter of approval once received.

I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and thank you for your continued support.

JH