Children in need
Reporting year 2020

Description

This page describes the data included in the ‘Characteristics of children in need’ National Statistics release's underlying data files. This data is released under the terms of the Open Government License and it intended to meet at least 3 stars for Open Data.

The methodology should be referenced alongside this data. It provides information on the data sources, their coverage and quality as well as explaining methodology used in producing the data.

Coverage

This release provides information on:

- children in need of social services
- children referred to social services
- assessments undertaken, primary need at assessment and factors identified at the end of assessment
- section 47 enquiries (a local authority carries out one of these if they suspect a child is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm) and initial child protection conferences
- children who were the subject of a child protection plan

These statistics are based on child-level data collected via the children in need census.

File formats and conventions

Confidentiality

In this publication, any number between 1 and 5 inclusive has been suppressed and replaced by ‘c’.  Secondary suppression has been applied where necessary, to preserve confidentiality.

The symbol ‘:’ indicates that data is not available. This may be because a local authority was unable to return a particular data item in the children in need census; changes to the data collected in the census; or data is not available because of concerns regarding quality.

The letter ‘z’ indicates data is not applicable.

The symbols used are in accordance with the latest Government Statistical Service (GSS) guidance. (https://gss.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/GSS-Website-Harmonised-Symbols-Supporting-Documentation.pdf)

Rounding

England and regional totals are rounded to the nearest 10, therefore sub totals may not sum to totals.

Percentages are rounded to one decimal place, therefore sub totals may not sum to 100.

Rates per 10,000 children aged under 18 years are rounded to one decimal place. Rates are calculated using ONS mid-year population estimates (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernireland) for children aged 0 to 17 years in England.

Data files

A1 Children in Need, Referrals and Assessments

Filename: a1_cin_referrals_assessments_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Children in need, episodes of need, referrals and assessments completed by children's social care services.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name  |  Variable description
-------------  |  --------------------------------------------
category_type  |  Category type
number         |  Number
percent        |  Percentage
rate           |  Rate per 10,000 children aged under 18 years

Footnotes:

1. A child in need is defined under the Children Act 1989 as a child who is unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development, or their health or development will be significantly impaired without the provision of children's social care services, or the child is disabled.
2. Figures for children in need at 31 March include children awaiting assessment and those that do not require an assessment. These children are included to give a full account of the children in need population and are not intended to be used as a measure of local authority performance.
3. Rates per 10,000 of the population of children aged under 18 years are calculated using Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates for children aged 0 to 17 years in England.


A2 Section 47s, initial child protection conferences and child protection plans

Filename: a2_section47_icpc_cpp_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Section 47 enquiries and initial child protection conferences carried out by children's social care services, and children who were the subject of a child protection plan, in the year ending 31 March.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name  |  Variable description
-------------  |  -------------------------------------------
category_type  |  Category type
number         |  Number
percent        |  Percentage
rate           |  Rate per 10000 children aged under 18 years

Footnotes:

1. If concerns regarding a child’s welfare are substantiated as result of a section 47 enquiry and the child is judged to be at continuing risk of harm then an initial child protection conference (ICPC) should be convened within 15 working days.
2. A child becomes the subject of a child protection plan if they are assessed as being at risk of harm, at an initial child protection conference.
3. Rates per 10,000 of the population of children aged under 18 years are calculated using Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates for children aged 0 to 17 years in England.
4. If a local authority identifies there is reasonable cause to suspect the child is suffering, or is likely to suffer significant harm, it will carry out an assessment under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 to determine if it needs to take steps to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child.


A3 Children in need by gender, age and primary need

Filename: a3_cin_primary_need_by_age_gender_2018_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2018 to 2020
Content summary: Children in need at 31 March by gender, age (at 31 March) and primary need.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                       |  Variable description
----------------------------------  |  --------------------------------------
characteristic                      |  Characteristic
CIN_At31                            |  Children in Need at 31st March
N0_Not_stated                       |  N0 - Not stated
N1_Abuse_or_neglect                 |  N1 - Abuse or neglect
N2_Childs_disability_or_illness     |  N2 - Child's disability or illness
N3_Parents_disability_or_illness    |  N3 - Parent's disability or illness
N4_Family_in_acute_stress           |  N4 - Family in acute stress
N5_Family_dysfunction               |  N5 - Family dysfunction
N6_Socially_unacceptable_behaviour  |  N6 - Socially unacceptable behaviour
N7_Low_income                       |  N7 - Low income
N8_Absent_parenting                 |  N8 - Absent parenting
N9_Cases_other_than_CIN             |  N9 - Cases other than children In need

Footnotes:

1. A child in need is defined under the Children Act 1989 as a child who is unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development, or their health or development will be significantly impaired without the provision of children's social care services, or the child is disabled.
2. When a child is referred to children's social care with a request for services to be provided the main reason why the child started to receive services is recorded as their primary need.


A4 Children in need by ethnicity, age and gender

Filename: a4_cin_by_ethnicity_and_age_gender_2018_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2018 to 2020
Content summary: Children in need at 31 March by gender, age (at 31 March) and ethnicity.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                     |  Variable description
--------------------------------  |  ------------------------------
characteristic                    |  Characteristic
CIN_At31                          |  Children in Need at 31st March
Ethnicity_Asian_or_Asian_British  |  Asian or Asian British
Ethnicity_Black_or_Black_British  |  Black or Black British
Ethnicity_Mixed                   |  Mixed
Ethnicity_White                   |  White
Known_ethnicity                   |  Known ethnicity
Other_ethnic_group                |  Other ethnic group

Footnotes:

1. A child in need is defined under the Children Act 1989 as a child who is unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development, or their health or development will be significantly impaired without the provision of children's social care services, or the child is disabled.
2. Black or black British comprises Caribbean, African or any other black background.
3. White comprises white British, white Irish, traveller of Irish heritage, any other white background and Gypsy/Roma.
4. Mixed comprises white and black Caribbean, white and black African, white and Asian, any other mixed background.
5. Other ethnic groups comprises Chinese and any other ethnic group.
6. Asian or Asian British comprises Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and any other Asian background.


A5 Child protection plans initial category of abuse by gender, age and ethnicity

Filename: a5_cpp_initial_category_of_abuse_by_gender_age_ethnicity_2018_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2018 to 2020
Content summary: Children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March by initial category of abuse by gender, age and ethnicity.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name            |  Variable description
-----------------------  |  ------------------------------------
characteristic_type      |  Characteristic Type
CPP_At31                 |  Child Protection Plans at 31st March
Emotional_Abuse_Initial  |  Emotional Abuse
Multiple_Initial         |  Multiple
Neglect_Initial          |  Neglect
Physical_Abuse_Initial   |  Physical Abuse
Sexual_Abuse_Initial     |  Sexual Abuse

Footnotes:

1. Black or black British comprises Caribbean, African or any other black background.
2. The initial category of abuse is that assessed when the child protection plan commenced.
3. A child becomes the subject of a child protection plan if they are assessed as being at risk of harm, at an initial child protection conference.
4. White comprises white British, white Irish, traveller of Irish heritage, any other white background and Gypsy/Roma.
5. The 'Multiple' category refers to instances where there is more than one main category of abuse. Children included in this category are not included in any other category of abuse, therefore a child is counted only once overall.
6. Mixed comprises white and black Caribbean, white and black African, white and Asian, any other mixed background.
7. Other ethnic groups comprises Chinese and any other ethnic group.
8. Asian or Asian British comprises Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and any other Asian background.


A6 Child protection plans initial category of abuse

Filename: a6_cpp_initial_category_of_abuse_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March by initial category of abuse.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name            |  Variable description
-----------------------  |  ------------------------------------
CPP_At31                 |  Child Protection Plans at 31st March
Emotional_abuse_Initial  |  Emotional Abuse
Multiple_Initial         |  Multiple
Neglect_Initial          |  Neglect
Physical_abuse_Initial   |  Physical Abuse
Sexual_abuse_Initial     |  Sexual Abuse

Footnotes:

1. The initial category of abuse is that assessed when the child protection plan commenced.
2. A child becomes the subject of a child protection plan if they are assessed as being at risk of harm, at an initial child protection conference.
3. The 'Multiple' category refers to instances where there is more than one main category of abuse. Children included in this category are not included in any other category of abuse, therefore a child is counted only once overall.


A7 Children in Need by Gender, Age and Ethnicity

Filename: a7_cin_by_age_gender_ethnicity_2015_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2015 to 2020
Content summary: Children in need by gender, age and ethnicity.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name        |  Variable description
-------------------  |  -------------------
characteristic_type  |  Characteristic type
number               |  Number
percent              |  Percentage

Footnotes:

1. A child in need is defined under the Children Act 1989 as a child who is unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development, or their health or development will be significantly impaired without the provision of children's social care services, or the child is disabled.
2. Black or black British comprises Caribbean, African or any other black background.
3. White comprises white British, white Irish, traveller of Irish heritage, any other white background and Gypsy/Roma.
4. Mixed comprises white and black Caribbean, white and black African, white and Asian, any other mixed background.
5. Other ethnic groups comprises Chinese and any other ethnic group.
6. Asian or Asian British comprises Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and any other Asian background.


B1 Children in Need and Episodes of Need

Filename: b1_children_in_need_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Children in need episodes at any point during the year, episodes starting in year, episodes ending in year, and children in need at 31 March.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name             |  Variable description
------------------------  |  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anypoint_child            |  Children with an episode of need at any point during the year
Anypoint_child_rate       |  Rate of children with an episode of need at any point during the year per 10000 children aged under 18 years
Anypoint_episodes         |  Episodes of need at any point during the year
Anypoint_episodes_rate    |  Rate of episodes of need at any point during the year per 10000 children aged under 18 years
At31_episodes             |  Children in need at 31 March
At31_episodes_rate        |  Rate of children in need at 31 March per 10000 children aged under 18 years
Awaiting_assessment       |  Children in need at 31 March who are awaiting assessment or do not require an assessment
Awaiting_assessment_rate  |  Rate of children in need at 31 March who are awaiting assessment or do not require assessment per 10000 children aged under 18 years
Ended_child               |  Children ending an episode of need in the year
Ended_child_rate          |  Rate of children ending an episode of need in the year per 10000 children aged under 18 years
Ended_episodes            |  Episodes of need ending in the year
Ended_episodes_rate       |  Rate of episodes ending in the year per 10000 children aged under 18 years
Started_child             |  Children starting an episode of need in the year
Started_child_rate        |  Rate of children starting an episode of need in the year per 10000 children aged under 18 years
Started_episodes          |  Episodes of need starting in the year
Started_episodes_rate     |  Rate of episodes of need starting in the year per 10000 children aged under 18 years

Footnotes:

1. A child in need is defined under the Children Act 1989 as a child who is unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development, or their health or development will be significantly impaired without the provision of children's social care services, or the child is disabled.
2. Figures for children in need at 31 March include children awaiting assessment and those that do not require an assessment. These children are included to give a full account of the children in need population and are not intended to be used as a measure of local authority performance.
3. A child can have more than one episode of need throughout the year, but episodes should not overlap.
4. Rates per 10,000 of the population of children aged under 18 years are calculated using Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates for children aged 0 to 17 years in England.


B2 Children in Need by Recorded Disability

Filename: b2_children_in_need_recorded_disability_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Children in need at 31 March, by disability.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                             |  Variable description
----------------------------------------  |  ---------------------------------------------------------------------
At31_episodes                             |  Number of children in need at 31 March
At31_episodes_disability_recorded         |  Number of children in need at 31 March with a disability recorded
At31episodes_disability_recorded_percent  |  Percentage of children in need at 31 March with a disability recorded
Autism_percent                            |  Autism/Asperger Syndrome
Behaviour_percent                         |  Behaviour
Communication_percent                     |  Communication
Consciousness_percent                     |  Consciousness
Hand_Function_percent                     |  Hand Function
Hearing_percent                           |  Hearing
Incontinence_percent                      |  Incontinence
Learning_Difficulties_percent             |  Learning
Mobility_percent                          |  Mobility
Other_percent                             |  Other Disability
Personal_care_percent                     |  Personal Care
Vision_percent                            |  Vision

Footnotes:

1. A child in need is defined under the Children Act 1989 as a child who is unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development, or their health or development will be significantly impaired without the provision of children's social care services, or the child is disabled.
2. A child may have more than one disability recorded, therefore the disability category percentages may not sum to 100.
3. Definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010: “You're disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a 'substantial' and 'long-term' negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities”. More information on what ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ mean is provided here: https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010


B3 Children in Need by Primary Need

Filename: b3_cin_primary_need_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Children in need at 31 March, by primary need at assessment.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                       |  Variable description
----------------------------------  |  --------------------------------------
At31_episodes                       |  Number of children in need at 31 March
N0_Not_stated                       |  N0 - Not stated
N1_Abuse_or_neglect                 |  N1 - Abuse or neglect
N2_Childs_disability_or_illness     |  N2 - Child's disability or illness
N3_Parents_disability_or_illness    |  N3 - Parent's disability or illness
N4_Family_in_acute_stress           |  N4 - Family in acute stress
N5_Family_dysfunction               |  N5 - Family dysfunction
N6_Socially_unacceptable_behaviour  |  N6 - Socially unacceptable behaviour
N7_Low_income                       |  N7 - Low income
N8_Absent_parenting                 |  N8 - Absent parenting
N9_Cases_other_than_CIN             |  N9 - Cases other than children in need

Footnotes:

1. When a child is referred to children's social care with a request for services to be provided the main reason why the child started to receive services is recorded as their primary need.


B4 Children in Need by Duration of Episode

Filename: b4_children_in_need_duration_of_open_episode_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Children in need at 31 March, by duration of open case.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name            |  Variable description
-----------------------  |  ------------------------------------------------------------------
1_2_years                |  1 year but less than 2 years - number
1_2_years_percent        |  1 year but less than 2 years - percentage
2years+                  |  2 years and over - number
2years+_percent          |  2 years and over - percentage
3_6_months               |  More than 3 months but less than or equal to 6 months - number
3_6_months_percent       |  More than 3 months but less than or equal to 6 months - percentage
3_months                 |  3 months or less - number
3_months_percent         |  3 months or less - percentage
6_months_1_year          |  More than 6 months but less than 1 year - number
6_months_1_year_percent  |  More than 6 months but less than 1 year - percentage
At31_episodes            |  Number of children in need at 31 March

Footnotes:

1. A child in need is defined under the Children Act 1989 as a child who is unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development, or their health or development will be significantly impaired without the provision of children's social care services, or the child is disabled.
2. The duration of an open episode is calculated as difference between the referral date and 31 March of the reporting year.
3. Open episodes (or cases) are those open at 31 March of the reporting year.


B5 Duration of Ended Episodes

Filename: b5_children_in_need_duration_of_ended_episode_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Episodes of need ending in the year ending 31 March, by duration of episode of need.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name            |  Variable description
-----------------------  |  ------------------------------------------------------------------
1_2_years                |  1 year but less than 2 years - number
1_2_years_percent        |  1 year but less than 2 years - percentage
2years+                  |  2 years and over - number
2years+_percent          |  2 years and over - percentage
3_6_months               |  More than 3 months but less than or equal to 6 months - number
3_6_months_percent       |  More than 3 months but less than or equal to 6 months - percentage
3_months                 |  3 months or less - number
3_months_percent         |  3 months or less - percentage
6_months_1_year          |  More than 6 months but less than 1 year - number
6_months_1_year_percent  |  More than 6 months but less than 1 year - percentage
Ended_episode            |  Number of episodes ending during the year

Footnotes:

1. A child in need is defined under the Children Act 1989 as a child who is unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development, or their health or development will be significantly impaired without the provision of children's social care services, or the child is disabled.
2. The duration of episode of need ending in the year is calculated as the difference between the referral date and closure date of the episode.


B6 Children in Need by Reason for Closure

Filename: b6_children_in_need_reason_for_closure_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Episodes of need ending in the year to 31 March, by reason for case closure.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                                 |  Variable description
--------------------------------------------  |  --------------------------------------------------------
Ended_episodes                                |  Number of episodes of need ending in the year
RC1_Adopted                                   |  RC1 - Adopted - Number
RC1_Adopted_percent                           |  RC1 - Adopted - Percentage
RC2_Died                                      |  RC2 - Died - Number
RC2_Died_percent                              |  RC2 - Died -Percentage
RC3_Residence_Order                           |  RC3 - Residence Order - Number
RC3_Residence_Order_percent                   |  RC3 - Residence Order - Percentage
RC4_Special_Guardianship_Order                |  RC4 - Special Guardianship Order - Number
RC4_Special_Guardianship_Order_percent        |  RC4 - Special Guardianship Order - Percentage
RC5_Transfer_to_another_LA                    |  RC5 - Transfer to another LA - Number
RC5_Transfer_to_another_LA_percent            |  RC5 - Transfer to another LA - Percentage
RC6_Transfer_to_Adult_Social_Service          |  RC6 - Transfer to Adult Social Services - Number
RC6_Transfer_to_Adult_Social_Service_percent  |  RC6 - Transfer to Adult Social Services - Percentage
RC7_Other                                     |  RC7 - 'Other' incl. Child no longer in need - Number
RC7_Other_percent                             |  RC7 - 'Other' incl. Child no longer in need - Percentage
unknown                                       |  Unknown - Number
unknown_percent                               |  Unknown - Percentage

Footnotes:

1. A child in need is defined under the Children Act 1989 as a child who is unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development, or their health or development will be significantly impaired without the provision of children's social care services, or the child is disabled.
2. Reason for closure is the reason the local authority stops providing services to the child.


C1 Children in Need Referrals and Rereferrals

Filename: c1_children_in_need_referrals_and_rereferrals_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Referrals to children's social care services, referrals which resulted in no further action, referrals which were assessed and resulted in no further action, children referred and where the referral was within 12 months of a previous referral, in the year ending 31 March.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name               |  Variable description
--------------------------  |  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No_Further_Action           |  Referrals which resulted in no further action
No_Further_Action_percent   |  Referrals which resulted in no further action (%)
Not_in_Need                 |  Referrals which resulted in an assessment and the child was assessed not to be in need
Not_in_Need_percent         |  Referrals which resulted in an assessment and the child was assessed not to be in need (%)
Re_referrals                |  Re-referrals within 12 months of a previous referral
Re_referrals_child          |  Number of children with a referral within 12 months of a previous referral
Re_referrals_child_percent  |  Number of children with a referral within 12 months of a previous referral (%)
Re_referrals_percent        |  Re-referrals within 12 months of a previous referral (%)
Referrals                   |  Referrals in the year
Referrals_child             |  Number of children with a referral in the year
Referrals_child_rate        |  Rate of children referred per 10000 children aged under 18 years
Referrals_rate              |  Rate of referrals in the year per 10000 children aged under 18 years

Footnotes:

1. A referral is defined as a request for services to be provided by children’s social care and is in respect of a child who is not currently in need.
2. If a child has more than one referral in a reporting year, then each referral is counted.
3. Recording of referral outcomes varies between local authorities, because of differences in local reporting practices. This means there may be considerable variation at local authority level in the number of referrals recorded as no further action, and those resulting in an assessment and the child was assessed not to be in need.
4. Re-referrals for the year ending 31 March 2020 exclude Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole local authorities due to the reorganisation of these areas from 1 April 2019. This means national re-referral figures for 2020 are not directly comparable with earlier years.
5. Rates per 10,000 of the population of children aged under 18 years are calculated using Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates for children aged 0 to 17 years in England.


C2 Children in Need Assessments by Duration

Filename: c2_children_in_need_assessments_duration_2014_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2014 to 2020
Content summary: Assessments completed by children's social care services in the year ending 31 March, by duration of assessment.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name               |  Variable description
--------------------------  |  -------------------------------------------
1-10_days                   |  1 to 10 days
11-20_days                  |  11 to 20 days
21-30_days                  |  21 to 30 days
25th_Percentile_days        |  25th percentile (days)
31-40_days                  |  31 to 40 days
41-45_days                  |  41 to 45 days
46-50_days                  |  46 to 50 days
51-60_days                  |  51 to 60 days
61+_days                    |  61 days and over
75th_Percentile_days        |  75th percentile (days)
Assessments_completed       |  Number of assessments in the year
Assessments_completed_rate  |  Rate per 10000 children aged under 18 years
Median_days                 |  Median (days)
Same_day                    |  Started and finished the same day

Footnotes:

1. Local authorities undertake assessments of the needs of individual children to determine what services to provide and action to take. An assessment should be completed within 45 working days of a referral.
2. The duration of an assessment is calculated as the time in working days between the assessment start date and the assessment end date.
3. Rates per 10,000 of the population of children aged under 18 years are calculated using Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates for children aged 0 to 17 years in England.


C3 Children in Need factor identified at end of Assessment

Filename: c3_children_in_need_factors_identified_at_end_of_assessment_2018_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2018 to 2020
Content summary: Episodes with assessment factor information in the year ending 31 March, and factors identified at the end of assessment.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                    |  Variable description
-------------------------------  |  -----------------------------------------------------
Alcohol_Misuse_child             |  Alcohol misuse (child)
Alcohol_Misuse_parent            |  Alcohol misuse (parent)
Alcohol_Misuse_person            |  Alcohol misuse (person)
Child_sexual_exploitation        |  Child sexual exploitation
Domestic_Violence_child          |  Domestic violence (child)
Domestic_Violence_parent         |  Domestic violence (parent)
Domestic_Violence_person         |  Domestic violence (person)
Drug_Misuse_child                |  Drug misuse (child)
Drug_Misuse_parent               |  Drug misuse (parent)
Drug_Misuse_person               |  Drug misuse (person)
Emotional_Abuse                  |  Emotional abuse
Episodes_with_assessment_factor  |  Number of episodes with assessment factor information
Faith_linked_abuse               |  Abuse linked to faith or belief
Female_Genital_Mutilation        |  Female Genital Mutilation
Gangs                            |  Gangs
Going_missing                    |  Going/being missing
Learning_Disability_child        |  Learning disability (child)
Learning_Disability_parent       |  Learning disability (parent)
Learning_Disability_person       |  Learning disability (person)
Mental_Health_child              |  Mental health (child)
Mental_Health_parent             |  Mental health (parent)
Mental_Health_person             |  Mental health (person)
Neglect                          |  Neglect
Other                            |  Other factors
Physical_Abuse                   |  Physical abuse
Physical_Disability_child        |  Physical disability (child)
Physical_Disability_parent       |  Physical disability (parent)
Physical_Disability_person       |  Physical disability (person)
Privately_fostered               |  Privately fostered
Self_harm                        |  Self-harm
Sexual_Abuse                     |  Sexual abuse
Socially_unacceptable_behaviour  |  Socially unacceptable behaviour
Trafficking                      |  Trafficking
Unaccompanied_asylum_seeker      |  Unaccompanied asylum seeker
Young_Carer                      |  Young carer

Footnotes:

1. An episode of need may have more than one factor identified at the end of assessment recorded.
2. Figures exclude the category ‘no factors identified’. This category is only used for cases which are closed following assessments resulting in no further action.
3. Factors identified at the end of assessment include only those factors which are deemed relevant at the end of a child’s assessment.


C4 Section 47s and Initial Child Protection Conferences

Filename: c4_children_in_need_section_47s_and_icpcs_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Section 47 enquiries and initial child protection conferences in the year ending 31 March.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name             |  Variable description
------------------------  |  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Duration_0-10_days        |  Duration between start of Section 47 enquiry and ICPC (0-10 working days)
Duration_11-15_days       |  Duration between start of Section 47 enquiry and ICPC (11-15 working days)
Duration_16-20_days       |  Duration between start of Section 47 enquiry and ICPC (16-20 working days)
Duration_21+_days         |  Duration between start of Section 47 enquiry and ICPC (21+ working days)
Duration_25th_Percentile  |  Duration between start of Section 47 enquiry and ICPC (25th percentile working days)
Duration_75th_Percentile  |  Duration between start of Section 47 enquiry and ICPC (75th percentile working days)
Duration_Median           |  Duration between start of Section 47 enquiry and ICPC (Median working days)
ICPC                      |  Number of ICPCs
ICPC_child                |  Number of children undergoing an ICPC
ICPC_child_rate           |  Rate of children undergoing an ICPC per 10000 children aged under 18 years
ICPC_rate                 |  Rate of ICPCs per 10000 children aged under 18 years
Section47                 |  Number of Section 47s
Section47_child           |  Number of children undergoing a Section 47
Section47_child_rate      |  Rate of children undergoing a Section 47 per 10000 children aged under 18 years
Section47_rate            |  Rate of Section 47s per 10000 children aged under 18 years

Footnotes:

1. If concerns regarding a child’s welfare are substantiated as result of a section 47 enquiry and the child is judged to be at continuing risk of harm then an initial child protection conference (ICPC) should be convened within 15 working days.
2. The duration between start of a section 47 enquiry and initial child protection conference is calculated as the time in working days between the start of section 47 and the date of the initial child protection conference. For cases transferred in from another local authority, the duration is calculated as time in working days between the referral date and the date of the initial child protection conference.
3. Rates per 10,000 of the population of children aged under 18 years are calculated using Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates for children aged 0 to 17 years in England.
4. If a local authority identifies there is reasonable cause to suspect the child is suffering, or is likely to suffer significant harm, it will carry out an assessment under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 to determine if it needs to take steps to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child.


C5 Children in Need Referrals by Source

Filename: c5_children_in_need_referrals_by_source_2014_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2014 to 2020
Content summary: Referrals to children's social care services in the year ending 31 March by source of referral.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name       |  Variable description
------------------  |  -------------------
Anonymous           |  Anonymous
Education_Services  |  Education services
Health_Services     |  Health services
Housing             |  Housing
Individual          |  Individual
LA_Services         |  LA services
Other               |  Other
Other_legal_agency  |  Other legal agency
Police              |  Police
Referrals           |  Number of referrals
Schools             |  Schools
Unknown             |  Unknown

Footnotes:

1. The source of referral is recorded for each new referral. Where there is more than one referral for the same child on the same day, the first referral should be recorded.
2. 'Health services' includes referral from GPs, health visitors, school nurses, other primary health services, A&E and other health services.
3. 'LA services' includes referrals from social care, other internal local authority services and external local authority services.
4. A referral is defined as a request for services to be provided by children’s social care and is in respect of a child who is not currently in need.
5. If a child has more than one referral in a reporting year, then each referral is counted.
6. 'Individual' includes referrals from family members, relatives, carers, acquaintances and self-referrals.


C6 Referrals by Month

Filename: c6_children_in_need_referrals_by_month_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Referrals to children's social care services, in the year ending 31 March by month of the year.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name  |  Variable description
---------  |  -------------------------------------
April      |  April
August     |  August
December   |  December
February   |  February
January    |  January
July       |  July
June       |  June
March      |  March
May        |  May
November   |  November
October    |  October
Referrals  |  Total number of referrals in the year
September  |  September

Footnotes:

1. A referral is defined as a request for services to be provided by children’s social care and is in respect of a child who is not currently in need.
2. If a child has more than one referral in a reporting year, then each referral is counted.


D1 Child Protection Plans

Filename: d1_child_protection_plans_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Child protection plans starting, ending and at any point during the year ending 31 March, children subject to a child protection plan at 31 March.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name            |  Variable description
-----------------------  |  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CPP_anypoint             |  Number of child protection plans at any point in the year
CPP_anypoint_rate        |  Rate of child protection plans taking place at any point in the year per 10000 children aged under 18 years
CPP_At31                 |  Number of child protection plans at 31 March
CPP_At31_rate            |  Rate of child protection plans at 31 March per 10000 children aged under 18 years
CPP_child_anypoint       |  Number of children on child protection plans at any point in the year
CPP_child_anypoint_rate  |  Rate of children on child protection plans at any point in the year per 10000 children aged under 18 years
CPP_child_end            |  Number of children ending child protection plans in the year
CPP_child_end_rate       |  Rate of children ending child protection plans in the year per 10000 children aged under 18 years
CPP_child_start          |  Number of children starting child protection plans in the year
CPP_child_start_rate     |  Rate of children starting child protection plans in the year per 10000 children aged under 18 years
CPP_end                  |  Number of child protection plans ending in the year
CPP_end_rate             |  Rate of child protection plans ending in the year per 10000 children aged under 18 years
CPP_start                |  Number of child protection plans starting in the year
CPP_start_rate           |  Rate of child protection plans starting in the year per 10000 children aged under 18 years

Footnotes:

1. A child becomes the subject of a child protection plan if they are assessed as being at risk of harm, at an initial child protection conference.
2. If a child is the subject of more than one child protection plan during the year, each plan is counted.
3. Rates per 10,000 of the population of children aged under 18 years are calculated using Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates for children aged 0 to 17 years in England.


D2 Child Protection Plans starting in the year by Category of Abuse

Filename: d2_cpps_starting_by_category_of_abuse_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Child protection plans starting during the year ending 31 March, by initial and latest category of abuse.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name      |  Variable description
-----------------  |  ---------------------------------------------------------
CPP_start          |  Number of child protection plans starting during the year
Emotional_Initial  |  Initial: Emotional abuse
Emotional_Latest   |  Latest: Emotional abuse
Multiple_Initial   |  Initial: Multiple
Multiple_Latest    |  Latest: Multiple
Neglect_Initial    |  Initial: Neglect
Neglect_Latest     |  Latest: Neglect
Physical_Initial   |  Initial: Physical abuse
Physical_Latest    |  Latest: Physical abuse
Sexual_Initial     |  Initial: Sexual abuse
Sexual_Latest      |  Latest: Sexual abuse

Footnotes:

1. The initial category of abuse is that assessed when the child protection plan commenced.
2. The latest category of abuse is the most recent category of abuse assigned to the child protection plan. The latest category of abuse may be the same as the initial category of abuse.
3. A child becomes the subject of a child protection plan if they are assessed as being at risk of harm, at an initial child protection conference.
4. If a child is the subject of more than one child protection plan during the year, each plan is counted.
5. The 'Multiple' category refers to instances where there is more than one main category of abuse. Children included in this category are not included in any other category of abuse, therefore a child is counted only once overall.


D3 Child protection plans with subsequent plan

Filename: d3_cpps_subsequent_plan_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Child protection plans starting in the year ending 31 March and child protection plans which are a second or subsequent plan.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name           |  Variable description
----------------------  |  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CPP_start               |  Number of child protection plans starting during the year
CPP_subsequent          |  Number of child protection plans which were a second or subsequent plan
CPP_subsequent_percent  |  Percentage of child protection plans which were a second or subsequent plan (%)

Footnotes:

1. A child becomes the subject of a child protection plan if they are assessed as being at risk of harm, at an initial child protection conference.
2. If a child is the subject of more than one child protection plan during the year, each plan is counted.


D4 Child Protection Plans at 31st March by Category of Abuse

Filename: d4_cpps_at31march_by_category_of_abuse_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March, by initial and latest category of abuse.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name      |  Variable description
-----------------  |  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CPP_At31           |  Number of children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March
Emotional_Initial  |  Initial: Emotional abuse
Emotional_Latest   |  Latest: Emotional abuse
Multiple_Initial   |  Initial: Multiple
Multiple_Latest    |  Latest: Multiple
Neglect_Initial    |  Initial: Neglect
Neglect_Latest     |  Latest: Neglect
Physical_Initial   |  Initial: Physical abuse
Physical_Latest    |  Latest: Physical abuse
Sexual_Initial     |  Initial: Sexual abuse
Sexual_Latest      |  Latest: Sexual abuse

Footnotes:

1. The initial category of abuse is that assessed when the child protection plan commenced.
2. The latest category of abuse is the most recent category of abuse assigned to the child protection plan. The latest category of abuse may be the same as the initial category of abuse.
3. A child becomes the subject of a child protection plan if they are assessed as being at risk of harm, at an initial child protection conference.
4. The 'Multiple' category refers to instances where there is more than one main category of abuse. Children included in this category are not included in any other category of abuse, therefore a child is counted only once overall.


D5 Child Protection Plans at 31 March by Length of Time

Filename: d5_cpps_at31march_by_length_of_time_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March, by length of time as the subject of a plan.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name            |  Variable description
-----------------------  |  -------------------------------------------------------------
1_2_years                |  1 year but less than 2 years
1_2_years_percent        |  1 year but less than 2 years (%)
2_years+                 |  2 years and over
2_years+_percent         |  2 years and over (%)
3_6_months               |  More than 3 months but less than or equal to 6 months
3_6_months_percent       |  More than 3 months but less than or equal to 6 months (%)
3_months                 |  3 months or less
3_months_percent         |  3 months or less (%)
6_months_1_year          |  More than 6 months but less than 1 year
6_months_1_year_percent  |  More than 6 months but less than 1 year (%)
CPP_At31                 |  Number of children who were the subject of a plan at 31 March

Footnotes:

1. The duration of a child protection plan at 31 March is calculated as the time between the child protection plan start date and 31 March of the reporting year.
2. A child becomes the subject of a child protection plan if they are assessed as being at risk of harm, at an initial child protection conference.


D6 Child Protection Plans Reviewed within Timescales

Filename: d6_cpps_reviewed_within_timescales_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March, and who had been on a plan for at least three months and had reviews carried out within the required timescales.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                       |  Variable description
----------------------------------  |  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CPP_At31_3Months                    |  Children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March and who had been the subject of a plan for 3 or more months
Reviewed_within_timescales          |  Reviewed within the required timescales
Reviewed_within_timescales_percent  |  Reviewed within the required timescales (%)

Footnotes:

1. A child becomes the subject of a child protection plan if they are assessed as being at risk of harm, at an initial child protection conference.
2. Statutory guidance states that a child should have a review of their child protection plan within the first three months of being the subject of the plan, and then subsequently at intervals of not more than six months.


D7 Child Protection Plans Ending in year by Length of Time

Filename: d7_cpps_ending_by_length_of_time_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Child protection plans ending, during year ending 31 March, by length of time as the subject of a plan.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name            |  Variable description
-----------------------  |  -----------------------------------------------------------
1_2_years                |  1 year but less than 2 years
1_2_years_percent        |  1 year but less than 2 years (%)
2_years+                 |  2 years and over
2_years+_percent         |  2 years and over (%)
3_6_months               |  More than 3 months but less than or equal to 6 months
3_6_months_percent       |  More than 3 months but less than or equal to 6 months (%)
3_months                 |  3 months or less
3_months_percent         |  3 months or less (%)
6_months_1_year          |  More than 6 months but less than 1 year
6_months_1_year_percent  |  More than 6 months but less than 1 year (%)
CPP_End                  |  Number of child protection plans that ended during the year

Footnotes:

1. The duration of a child protection plan which ended during the year ending 31 March is calculated as the time between the child protection plan start date and end date.
2. A child becomes the subject of a child protection plan if they are assessed as being at risk of harm, at an initial child protection conference.
3. If a child is the subject of more than one child protection plan during the year, each plan is counted.


D8 Child protection plans ending during the first six months of the year by length of time child remained in need

Filename: d8_cpps_ending_in_first_6months_by_length_of_time_2013_to_2020.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2013 to 2020
Content summary: Child protection plans ending during the first six months of the year ending 31 March, by length of time the child remained in need.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name              |  Variable description
-------------------------  |  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3_6_months                 |  More than 3 months but less than or equal to 6 months
3_6_months_percent         |  More than 3 months but less than or equal to 6 months (%)
3_months                   |  Less than or equal to 3 months
3_months_percent           |  Less than or equal to 3 months (%)
3_months_transfer          |  Transferred to another local authority
3_months_transfer_percent  |  Transferred to another local authority (%)
6_months+                  |  More than 6 months
6_months+_percent          |  More than 6 months (%)
CPP_End_first_6months      |  Number of child protection plans that ended during the first 6 months of the collection year

Footnotes:

1. A child becomes the subject of a child protection plan if they are assessed as being at risk of harm, at an initial child protection conference.
2. If a child is the subject of more than one child protection plan during the year, each plan is counted.
3. The duration of a child protection plan which ended during the first 6 months of the year ending 31 March is calculated as the time between the child protection plan start date and end date.


ONS mid-year population estimates

Filename: ons_mid-year_population_estimates.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2012 to 2019
Content summary: Population aged 0 to 17 (age at mid-year) for years 2012 to 2019 based on 2011 census.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name        |  Variable description
-------------------  |  -------------------
age_group            |  Age group
population_estimate  |  Population estimate
