Statistics Publication Notice: Health and Care Series: Children Looked After Statistics 2009-10

CHILDREN LOOKED AFTER STATISTICS 2009-10

Scotland's Chief Statistician today published Children Looked After Statistics 2009-10. This publication contains statistics on children who were looked after by or eligible for aftercare services from local authorities between 1 August 2009 and 31 July 2010.

The main findings are:

• At 31 July 2010 there were 15,892 children looked after by local authorities, an increase of 4 per cent since 31 March 2009. The number of children looked after has increased every year since 2001, and is at its highest since 1982. (Table 1.1, Chart 1).
• Of the 15,892 children looked after on 31 July 2010, 14,999 (94 per cent) of them had a current care plan (Table 1.2).
• There were 4,859 children who started to be looked after during 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2010, a decrease of 7 per cent compared with 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009. (Table 1.3).
• There were 4,504 children who ceased being looked after during 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2010, an increase of 3 per cent compared with 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009. (Table 1.4).
• Fifty one per cent of young people ceasing to be looked after above school leaving age during 1 August 2009 and 31 July 2010 had a pathway plan on the date they were discharged, and 69 per cent had a pathway coordinator. (Table 1.5).
• There were 3,918 young people reported to be eligible for aftercare services on 31 July 2010. Thirty seven per cent of those receiving aftercare and who had a known economic activity were in education, training or employment, an increase of 2 percentage points on 31 March 2009. (Table 1.6).
• At 31 July 2010 there were 1,757 children being looked after on a current planned series of short term placements. Sixty three per cent of all these were looked after in residential establishments. (Table 1.7).

The following charts are available:

Chart 1: Children looked after per 1,000 of 0-18 population by type of placement, 31 March 1987-2009 and 31 July 2010

The following tables are available:

Table 1.1: Number of children looked after by accommodation, 1971-2010
Table 1.2: Children looked after at 31 July 2010 with and without a current care plan
Table 1.3: Number of children starting to be looked after 2001-2010 by age and gender
Table 1.4: Number of children ceasing to be looked after, by length of time looked after and age, 2001-2010
Table 1.5: Young people ceasing to be looked after during 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2010 who were beyond minimum school-leaving age on date they ceased to be looked after - with a pathway plan, and with a nominated pathway co-ordinator
Table 1.6: Young people eligible for aftercare services on 31 July 2010, by age and economic activity
Table 1.7: All children with a current planned series of short term placements at 31 July 2010 by type of placement

REVISIONS TO 2008-09 DATA

1. East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian and Moray all made some revisions to parts of their 2008-09 looked after and/or their young persons eligible for aftercare services data. These revisions have all been incorporated into these published tables (including the additional tables also available).

2. Revisions to previously published statistics are carried out in accordance with the Scottish Government Corporate Policy Statement on Revisions and Corrections. This statement is available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/About/NatStats.

Chart 1 and Table 1.1 shows the number of looked after children, and the rate per 1,000 population aged 0-18 years, by type of placement for the years 1987 to 2010.

At 31 July 2010, there were 15,892 children being looked after by local authorities. This represents 14.3 per 1,000 children of the 0-18 year old population. The number of, and rate per 1,000 population aged 0-18 years, has been increasing every year since 2001.

The number of looked after children at 31 July 2010 is at its highest level since 1982.

The number of looked after children by placement type shows that the increase over the past 10 years is due to a general increasing number of children being looked after in community settings ( i.e. at home, with foster carers/prospective adopters, with friends/relatives and other community settings), whereas the number of looked after children for children in residential care, which was on a decline throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, but remained fairly static between the years 2000 to 2007, has started to decline again since 2007.

The number of children being looked after by foster carers/prospective adopters or in other community placements (including with friends/relatives) are at their highest levels on record, whilst the number of children being looked after in residential care is at its lowest level on record.

Chart 1: Children looked after per 1,000 of 0-18 population by type of placement, 31 March 1987-2009 and 31 July 2010

Table 1.1: Number of children looked after by accommodation, 1971-2010

Year	Accommodation type				All children looked after
	At home	With foster carers or prospective adopters	Other community placement	In residential care
1971	-	-	-	-	14,788
1972	-	-	-	-	19,166
1973	-	-	-	-	20,703
1974	-	-	-	-	20,553
1975	-	-	-	-	18,936
1976	5,883	3,763	1,430	6,242	17,318
1977	5,593	3,733	1,337	6,209	16,872
1978	-	-	-	-	17,107
1979	-	-	-	-	16,887
1980	-	-	-	-	16,845
1981	-	-	-	-	17,045
1982	-	-	-	-	16,084
1983	-	-	-	-	15,529
1984	-	-	-	-	13,783
1985	-	-	-	-	13,261
1986	-	-	-	-	13,319
1987	5,949	2,759	1,025	2,784	12,517
1988	6,064	2,620	939	2,664	12,287
1989	6,262	2,560	851	2,364	12,037
1990	7,128	2,593	928	2,313	12,962
1991	6,625	2,492	1,147	2,401	12,665
1992	6,527	2,746	1,200	2,298	12,771
1993	6,447	2,574	1,221	2,124	12,371
1994	6,335	2,589	1,121	2,083	12,128
1995	6,224	2,605	1,021	2,042	11,891
1996	6,112	2,620	920	2,001	11,653
1997	6,000	2,635	820	1,960	11,415
1998	5,455	2,794	738	1,817	10,804
1999	5,309	3,155	943	1,784	11,191
2000	5,270	3,181	1,274	1,585	11,309
2001	4,842	3,280	1,195	1,582	10,897
2002	4,909	3,328	1,409	1,595	11,241
2003	4,851	3,468	1,518	1,550	11,388
2004	4,982	3,608	1,518	1,567	11,675
2005	5,179	3,660	1,807	1,539	12,185
2006	5,517	3,915	1,912	1,638	12,982
2007	5,986	4,275	2,138	1,661	14,060
2008	6,360	4,480	2,435	1,613	14,888
2009	5,924	4,741	3,042	1,580	15,287
2010	6,193	4,996	3,223	1,480	15,892

Notes: Table excludes planned series of short term placements.
Figures for 2010 are provisional and may be revised in 2010-11.
Figures for 2009 are revised
Prior to 2008, table includes estimates wherever local authorities were not able to provide data.
Young people aged 18-21 are included from 2006 onwards, and figures for 2009 include a small number of over 21yr olds.
Table includes rounded estimates for local authorities not able to provide information in all years up to 2004. For this reason, the total for all children looked after may not exactly equal the sum of its component parts.
For cells shown as "-", figures are not available.
Figures are estimates for 1975, 1994, 1995 and 1996.
"Other community placement" includes "with friends/relatives" as well as "in other community".

Table 1.2 shows the number of children being looked after at 31 July 2010 who had, or did not have, a current care plan.

When children become looked after, a care plan should be produced. The care plan should include detailed information about the child's care, education and health needs, as well as the responsibilities of the local authority, the parents and the child. Other aspects will include details of the child's living arrangements and the involvement (if any) of the child's parents in decisions that may affect the child. The plan should also indicate how long the arrangement is expected to last, how it will come to an end and what will happen at the end. A care plan is considered 'current' if it has been produced or reviewed in the past 12 months.

At 31 July 2010, of the 15,892 children who were being looked after, 14,999 (94 per cent) of them had a current care plan. A slightly higher proportion of children who were being looked after away from home had a current care plan than those who were being looked after at home.

Table 1.2: Children looked after at 31st July 2010 with and without a current care plan

	Looked after at home	Looked after away from home	Total
With a current care plan	5,805	9,194	14,999
Without a current care plan	388	505	893
Total	6,193	9,699	15,892

Note: Figures are provisional and may be revised in 2010-11

Table 1.3 shows the number of children who started being looked after between 2000-01 to 2009-10. Please note that a child will be counted more than once if they started being looked after more than once during the reporting year.

There were 4,859 children who started to be looked after during 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2010. This was a decrease of 7 per cent compared with the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 and is its lowest level since 2005-06.

This decrease was largely as a result of a large fall in the number of children aged 12-15 years of age starting to be looked after during 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2010 compared with previous years.

The number of children aged under 5 years at the time of starting to be looked after has increased every year since 2004-05.

Table 1.3: Number of children starting to be looked after 2001-2010 by age and gender

Age/gender	Children starting to be looked after in year ending										Percentage of 2010 total
	31st March…									31st July
	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Male
Under 1	127	139	146	179	218	220	207	280	323	335	13
1-4	444	516	457	483	433	523	593	600	580	596	23
5-11	737	702	783	732	666	748	864	834	830	792	31
12-15	1,220	1,070	1,021	949	949	986	1,043	932	995	816	32
16-17	192	210	163	142	100	140	164	133	33	32	1
18-21						9	7	2	3	0	0
Not known					1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	2,720	2,637	2,570	2,485	2,367	2,626	2,878	2,781	2,764	2,571	100
Female
Under 1	107	120	123	187	182	195	205	222	318	315	14
1-4	377	427	393	417	424	470	564	532	558	550	24
5-11	578	583	568	626	589	545	649	703	733	671	29
12-15	782	781	753	750	695	810	835	826	805	739	32
16-17	130	130	108	100	74	79	110	92	22	13	1
18-21						8	4	3	1	0	0
Not known					1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	1,974	2,042	1,943	2,079	1,965	2,107	2,367	2,378	2,437	2,288	100
All people
Under 1	234	259	268	366	400	415	412	502	641	650	13
1-4	821	943	850	900	857	993	1,157	1,132	1,138	1,146	24
5-11	1,315	1,285	1,350	1,357	1,255	1,293	1,513	1,537	1,563	1,463	30
12-15	2,002	1,852	1,773	1,699	1,644	1,796	1,878	1,758	1,800	1,555	32
16-17	322	340	271	242	175	219	274	225	55	45	1
18-21						17	11	5	4	0	0
Not known					2	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	4,694	4,678	4,513	4,564	4,333	4,733	5,245	5,159	5,201	4,859	100

Notes: Table excludes planned series of short term placements.
Figures for 2009-10 are provisional and may be revised in 2010-11.
Falkirk did not provide information on children starting to be looked after in 2007-08.
Figures for 2009 are revised.
Prior to 2008, table includes rounded estimates wherever local authorities were not able to provide information.
Prior to 2005 'unknowns' were allocated to a category rather than being reported as unknown. For this reason, totals do not always exactly equal the sum of their parts, due to rounding.
The number of looked after children aged 18+ was not asked for prior to 2006.
A child may start to be looked after more than once in a year and so may be counted more than once.
Changes between 2003-04 and 2004-05 are partly due to improved recording.
The 18-21 category in this table may include a small number of looked after young people who were over 21yrs
Due to rounding, the percentage totals may not equal the sum of their parts
The number of children starting to be looked after during 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 was 5,191.

Table 1.4 shows the number of children who ceased being looked after between 2000-01 to 2009-10. Please note that a child will be counted more than once if they ceased being looked after more than once during the reporting year.

There were 4,504 children who ceased being looked after during 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2010. This was an increase of 3 per cent compared with the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009.

The number of children who had been looked after for 1 year or more at the time of ceasing to be looked after has increased every year since 2004-05, whereas the number of children who had been looked after for less than 1 year at the time of ceasing to be looked after fell for the second consecutive year.

Table 1.4: Number of children ceasing to be looked after, by length of time looked after and age, 2001-2010

Age	Length of time looked after	Children ceasing to be looked after in year ending										Percentage of 2010 totals
		31 March…									31 July
		2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Under 1	Under 6 weeks	27	42	26	72	56	39	55	46	63	52	48
	6 weeks to under 6 months	31	25	26	25	28	44	29	33	42	43	39
	6 months to under 1 year	20	11	17	9	9	19	13	21	30	14	13
	Not known								1	0	0	0
	Total	78	78	70	107	93	102	97	101	135	109	100
1-4	Under 6 weeks	76	193	86	167	126	96	87	119	102	86	11
	6 weeks to under 6 months	89	90	56	116	56	67	80	119	70	75	10
	6 months to under 1 year	158	92	133	120	93	120	136	119	115	132	17
	1 year to under 3 years	234	211	244	184	195	235	254	255	395	381	49
	3 years to under 5 years	42	49	54	38	26	48	54	66	82	110	14
	Not known								16	0	0	0
	Total	600	635	573	625	496	566	611	694	764	784	100
5-11	Under 6 weeks	155	229	144	169	145	97	105	141	132	99	9
	6 weeks to under 6 months	184	144	92	140	80	86	112	96	68	89	8
	6 months to under 1 year	271	146	190	189	161	157	185	173	182	208	19
	1 year to under 3 years	390	276	385	269	317	400	351	343	382	401	36
	3 years to under 5 years	94	110	143	162	114	162	190	206	212	207	19
	5 years and over	30	39	61	51	71	84	86	102	103	106	10
	Not known								26	0	0	0
	Total	1,124	943	1,015	979	888	986	1,029	1,087	1,079	1,110	100
12-15	Under 6 weeks	200	306	151	182	182	140	130	127	103	102	10
	6 weeks to under 6 months	229	213	155	180	143	154	146	149	98	109	10
	6 months to under 1 year	349	228	217	215	170	164	204	216	244	221	21
	1 year to under 3 years	440	388	430	321	285	336	304	337	379	427	41
	3 years to under 5 years	111	91	109	120	86	81	82	134	108	107	10
	5 years and over	64	56	40	46	41	65	58	79	84	87	8
	Not known								20	0	0	0
	Total	1,393	1,281	1,102	1,065	907	940	924	1,062	1,016	1,053	100
16+	Under 6 weeks	48	90	33	50	68	18	21	27	9	3	0
	6 weeks to under 6 months	91	84	92	121	83	54	104	107	55	33	2
	6 months to under 1 year	280	176	175	179	184	194	267	274	196	189	13
	1 year to under 3 years	727	535	613	543	510	553	606	656	562	602	42
	3 years to under 5 years	248	236	198	223	169	243	243	247	250	248	17
	5 years and over	151	143	163	129	166	229	242	233	328	373	26
	Not known								25	0	0	0
	Total	1,545	1,264	1,274	1,245	1,180	1,291	1,483	1,569	1,400	1,448	100
TOTAL	Under 6 weeks	506	861	440	640	578	390	398	460	409	342	8
	6 weeks to under 6 months	625	556	421	583	390	405	471	504	333	349	8
	6 months to under 1 year	1,078	652	732	713	617	654	805	803	767	764	17
	1 year to under 3 years	1,791	1,410	1,672	1,317	1,308	1,524	1,515	1,591	1,718	1,811	40
	3 years to under 5 years	496	485	504	543	395	534	569	653	652	672	15
	5 years and over	245	237	264	225	278	378	386	414	515	566	13
	Not known								88	0	0	0
	Total	4,740	4,202	4,034	4,021	3,566	3,885	4,144	4,513	4,394	4,504	100

Notes: Table excludes children who are on a planned series of short term placements.
Figures for 2010 are provisional and may be revised in 2010-11.
Fife did not provide information on children ceasing to be looked after in 2007-08. Fife's figures from 2006-07 have been incorporated into this table for 2007-08.
Falkirk did not provide information on length of time looked after for children ceasing to be looked after in 2007-08. The total numbers of children ceasing to be looked after in this local authority for 2007-08 have been included as "not known".
Prior to 2008, table includes estimates wherever local authorities were not able to provide data.
In 2000 to 2004 some totals do not exactly equal the sum of their component parts due to the effects of rounding estimated figures.
A child may cease to be looked after more than once during the year and will be counted once for each episode of care ending.
Some totals do not exactly equal the sum of their component parts due to the effects of rounding.
Figures for 2009 are revised.
The number of children ceasing to be looked after during 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 was 4,625.

Table 1.5 shows the number of children who were beyond their minimum school leaving age on the date they ceased being looked after during 2009-10. Please note that a child will be counted more than once if they ceased being looked after more than once during the reporting year.

Fifty one per cent of young people ceasing to be looked after above their minimum school leaving age during 1 August 2009 and 31 July 2010 had a pathway plan on the date they were discharged, and 69 per cent had a pathway coordinator.

If a young person's final placement type was 'at home' then only 43 per cent of them had a pathway plan on the date of discharge, compared with 60 per cent of those whose final placement type was 'away from home'.

Similarly, if a young person's final placement type was 'at home', then only 62 per cent of them had a pathway co-ordinator, compared with 77 per cent of those whose final placement type was 'away from home'.

Table 1.5: Young people ceasing to be looked after during 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2010 who were beyond minimum school-leaving age on date they ceased to be looked after - with a pathway plan, and with a nominated pathway co-ordinator

	Number			Percentage
	Looked after at home	Looked after away from home	Total	Looked after at home	Looked after away from home	Total
With a pathway plan on date of discharge	325	420	745	43	60	51
Without a pathway plan on date of discharge	429	276	705	57	40	49
With a nominated pathway co-ordinator on date of discharge	467	533	1,000	62	77	69
Without a nominated pathway co-ordinator on date of discharge	287	163	450	38	23	31
Total	754	696	1,450	100	100	100

Notes:
Figures are provisional and may be revised in 2010-11.
Figures include all episodes of ceasing to be looked after beyond minimum school leaving age ( i.e. a child may be counted more than once).
The number of children ceasing to be looked after during 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 who were beyond minimum school leaving age on date they ceased to be looked after was 1,451.

Table 1.6 shows the number of young people eligible for aftercare services on 31 July 2010, by age and economic activity.

There were 3,918 young people reported to be eligible for aftercare services on 31 July 2010. Thirty seven per cent of those receiving aftercare and who had a known economic activity were in education, training or employment, an increase of 2 percentage points on 31 March 2009.

The percentage of those young people receiving aftercare with a known economic activity who were in education, training or employment decreased by age of the young person, from 41 per cent for those aged 16 years and under to 34 per cent for those aged 19 and over.

Table 1.6: Young people eligible for aftercare services on 31st July 2010, by age and economic activity

Economic activity on 31 July 2010	Age on 31 July 2010				Total	Percentage of all young people eligible for aftercare	Percentage of young people receiving aftercare with known economic activity
	15-16	17	18	19-21
In education, training or employment
In higher education	16	29	23	35	103	3	5
In education other than HE	46	59	54	55	214	5	10
In training or employment	52	103	149	151	455	12	22
Not in education, training or employment
- due to short term illness	6	*	*	13	29	1	1
- due to long term illness or disability	10	*	*	30	61	2	3
- due to looking after family	14	15	52	69	150	4	7
- due to other circumstances	133	253	315	362	1,063	27	51
Not known	67	86	123	193	469	12
Not receiving aftercare	273	455	494	152	1,374	35
Total	617	1,018	1,223	1,060	3,918	100	100
Percentage in employment, education or training
As percentage of all young people eligible for aftercare	18	19	18	23	20
As percentage of young people receiving aftercare with known economic activity	41	40	37	34	37

Notes:
Figures are provisional and may be revised in 2010-11.
Cells containing * represent numbers that are suppressed to maintain confidentiality.
Due to rounding, the totals for percentages may not equal the sum of their parts

Table 1.7 shows the number of children on a current planned series of short-term placements on 31 July 2010, by type of placement.

At 31 July 2010 there were 1,757 children being looked after on a current planned series of short term placements. Sixty three per cent of all these were looked after in residential establishments and 30 per cent were in foster placements.

Table 1.7: All children with a current planned series of short term placements at 31st July 2010 by type of placement

Type of placement	Number of children	Percentage
Residential establishment	1,115	63
Hospital	8	0
Foster placement	529	30
Other placement	105	6
Total	1,757	100

Note: Figures are provisional and may be revised in 2010-11.