Looked After Children statistics: FOI release

Information requested

1. How many Looked After Children does Scotland currently have?

2. How many of these Looked After Children are aged between 12 and 15?

3. How many of these Looked After Children are aged under 5?

4. What are the rates of Looked After Children being re homed?

5. What are the numbers of all of the questions above but from the past 3 years.

Response

Figures on the number of Looked After Children in Scotland are published in annual Children’s Social Work Statistics reports. The most recent publication is available at the following web address: https://www.gov.scot/publications/republication-childrens-social-work-statistics-scotland-2018-19/.

These statistics present the number of Looked After Children as at 31 July each year, most recently as at 31 July 2019. The next edition of these statistics is due to be released in March 2021, and will include figures up to 31 July 2020.

The answers to your first three questions are provided below:

As at 31st July	2017	2018	2019
1. How many Looked After Children does Scotland currently have?	14,897	14,554	14,262
2. How many of these Looked After Children are aged between 12 and 15?	4,662	4,702	4,604
3. How many of these Looked After Children are aged under 5?	2,912	2,847	2,833

This information can be found in the publication and supporting files (additional table 1.1) to the publications below:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/childrens-social-work-statistics-2016-17/
https://www.gov.scot/publications/republication-childrens-social-work-statistics-scotland-2018-19/

You also asked ‘What are the rates of Looked After Children being re-homed’. The number of children looked after in each type of accommodation is shown in Table 1.1 of the above publications. Similarly, the destinations of all children ceasing to be looked after are shown in Table 1.5.

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