Children's Social Work Statistics Scotland: 2021 to 2022

Continuing care

Continuing Care is the continued provision of the accommodation and other assistance being provided by local authorities immediately before the young person ceases to be looked after. Please seee background notes for eligibility criteria.

Young people ceasing to be looked after and entering Continuing Care

During 2021-22, 255 young people ceased to be looked after with a destination of Continuing Care (see Table 2.7). The highest proportion of young people beginning Continuing Care related to 17 year olds (58%) followed by 18 year olds (30%) and 16 year olds (11%).

During 2021-22, the rate per 1,000 young people ceasing to be looked after with a destination of Continuing Care was 0.7 – stable from the preceding year (see Additional Table 2.12 ). The rate of ranged from 0.0 per 1,000 in several local authorities to 2.6 in Argyll and Bute.

Table 2.7 Number and percentage of young people ceasing to be looked after during the year with a destination of Continuing Care by age, 2021-22

A total of 908 young people aged 16 years or over ceased to be looked after in a placement that falls under eligibility criteria for Continuing Care (i.e., Kinship Care, Foster Care, or Residential Accommodation). Of these 27% had entered Continuing Care after ceasing to be looked after (see Table 2.8). The proportion of those ceasing to be looked after and entering Continuing Care was 39% for those in a foster care placement, 30% for those in residential placements, and 12% for those in kinship care.

Table 2.8 Number of young people aged 16 years old or over ceasing to be looked after with a destination of Continuing Care by placement type [Note 1], [Note 2], [Note 3]

[Note 1] Kinship placements include placements where young people are with family/relatives.

[Note 2] Foster placements include placements where young people are with foster carers provided by Local Authority or with foster carers purchased by Local Authority.

[Note 3] Residential placement include placements in Local Authority home, voluntary home, residential school, secure care, and other residential.

[Note 4] The total excludes those who have a destination of Continuing Care but whose placement did not match eligibility criteria for Continuing Care (i.e., Kinship, Foster or Residential).

Young people in Continuing Care as at 31 July

On 31 July 2022, 696 young people were in Continuing Care (see Table 2.9). Over half of young people in Continuing Care were aged 19-21 years old (53%), 36% aged 18 years old and 7% aged 17 years old – a pattern that has remained broadly stable since the previous year. 

Table 2.9 Number and percentage of young people in Continuing Care by age on 31 July [Note 1]

[Note 1] Young people aged 22+ are not technically eligible for Continuing Care.

On 31 July 2022, the rate per 1,000 young people in Continuing Care was 2.0 – an increase from 1.6 in 2021 (see Additional Table 2.13). The rate of ranged from 0.0 per 1,000 in a few local authorities to 5.2 per 1,000 in Midlothian.