WIREDGOV

A National Statistics Publication for Scotland.

Two per cent of children in Scotland were being looked after by local authorities or on the child protection register on July 31 2018, according to the latest Children’s Social Work Statistics, published today by Scotland’s Chief Statistician.

The statistics which include information on children who were looked after, on the child protection register, or in secure care accommodation show that:

• an estimated 14,738 children were looked after in 2018, a decrease of one per cent from 2017, and the sixth consecutive year of decline
• foster care remains the most common accommodation for looked after children, accounting for over a third of looked after children (34%), whereas residential care accounts for 10% of looked after children
• the number of children starting to become looked after decreased in 2017-18, while the number ceasing to be looked after increased compared with 2016-17.
• in the first collection of Continuing Care information, there were a total of 208 young people recorded as being in Continuing Care in 2017-18
• of the estimated 6,109 care leavers eligible for aftercare services on 31 July 2018, 62% were known to be receiving aftercare
• the number of children on the child protection register increased slightly in 2018 to an estimated 2,668, but remains lower than the recent peak recorded in 2014
• around half of children registered were on the child protection register for less than six months, while 16% were registered for a year or more
• 85 young people were in secure care accommodation at the end of July 2018. The average number of young people placed in secure care accommodation during 2017-18 was 81, up from 76 during the previous year. If placements from the rest of the UK are excluded, the average number of young people placed in secure care from Scotland fell by 18% compared to last year

The figures released today were produced in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Children’s Social Work Statistics 2017-18