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GOVERNMENT STATISTICAL RETURNS ON CHILD PROTECTION

GOVERNMENT STATISTICAL RETURNS ON CHILD PROTECTION. Jenny Gray Policy Adviser Department for Education and Skills. BACKGROUND INFORMATION. Child Protection is the responsibility of Local Authorities in England

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GOVERNMENT STATISTICAL RETURNS ON CHILD PROTECTION

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  1. GOVERNMENT STATISTICALRETURNS ON CHILD PROTECTION Jenny Gray Policy Adviser Department for Education and Skills

  2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION • Child Protection is the responsibility of Local Authorities in England • But there is a legal requirement for other agencies to taking safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children into account when carrying out their duties

  3. BACKGROUND INFORMATION • Data are collected in the following collections: • Children in need • Referrals, assessments and child protection registers • Looked after children • Children leaving care • Responsibility of Government (DfES)

  4. ANALYSIS • Child protection data is collected at an aggregate level only, whereas the looked after children data is collected on each child; • Data is presented by Local Authority and nationally

  5. REPRESENTATION OF EXTENT OF CHILDREN IN NEED IN ENGLAND AT ANY ONE TIME (2006) All children (11 million) Vulnerable children (3.66m) Children in need (384,200) Children Looked After (60,300) On Child Protection Register (26,400)

  6. METHODOLOGY

  7. METHODOLOGY (cont…)

  8. CHILD PROTECTION DATA COLLECTION Follows process set out in Government guidance Referral to Social Services Provision of services Initial Assessment In-depth Assessment (core) Actual Likely Harm Multi-agency strategy discussion Provision of Services S47 enquiries

  9. CHILD PROTECTION DATA COLLECTION(cont…) Follows process set out in Government guidance Provision of services Child Protection Conference Decision to Register Review Decision to De-register

  10. GOAL/PURPOSE OF THE COLLECTION • To report on the number of children in need receiving services from children’s social care; • The number of referrals, assessments and children on the child protection register; • The number of children looked after away from home (including adoptions and care leavers) and their outcomes; • Trend data is reported and commented upon

  11. GOAL/PURPOSE OF THE COLLECTION • Feedback to Local Authorities to inform their service planning and delivery • Provides data for policy makers • Used to inform Performance Assessment Process of Local Authorities • Used to inform research and evaluation

  12. EVALUATION OF POLICY • Provides data on what is happening/changing and what the trends are over time eg number of referrals, conferences and registrations • Enables understanding of how policies are being implemented eg timescales for assessments

  13. PERFORMANCE MONITORING • Re-registrations on the register – provides information about children who have been reabused; also a low rate may cause concern • Reviews of child protection cases – are these done on time? • Duration on the register – after 2 years one expects the child to be no longer on the register • Core assessments completed to time

  14. RESEARCH FINDINGS • Research findings from a sample of the child population can be compared with the national picture eg a study on children in families where there was domestic violence and mental illness was able to compare its data with the national statistics on child protection

  15. DISSEMINATION • Annual publication: Referrals, Assessments and Children and Young People on Child Protection Registers • Available on the web: www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/000553/index.shtml • Published by The Stationery Office, London. (www.tso.co.uk/bookshop)

  16. EVALUATION • DfES statisticians together with policy meet regularly with LA representatives to review the data items collected and their utility, as well as to propose changes to future data collections. • Changes usually reflect changes in legislation, guidance and policy

  17. LIMITATIONS OF THE CURRENT DATA • Relies on individuals to supply accurate data within LAs and from LAs to DfES • Despite the best efforts of officials to define the data requirements clearly, there always seems to be plenty of scope for interpretation • As some of the data are used to measure LA performance there can be perverse incentives to ‘doctor’ it.

  18. LIMITATIONS OF THE DATA (contd) • Data reflects those children referred to children’s social care and does not represent the totality of all abuse and neglect experienced in England • Understanding of what constitutes abuse or neglect changes over time • Policy changes may result in the definitions changing over time eg criteria for registration

  19. CONTACT DETAILS • Jenny Gray Policy Adviser Safeguarding Children Policy Unit Department for Education and Skills Level 4, Caxton House, Tothill St, London, SW1H 9NA, England Email: jenny.gray@dfes.gsi.gov.uk

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