Children’s Looked After Statistics ECSPB
Renfrewshire Council · 13 March 2025
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 13 March 2025 and its agenda
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To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 13 March 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Children’s Looked After Statistics - 28 February 2025 _______________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. At the Board on 22 August 2024, it was agreed that an updated position in relation to the number of children who are looked after and the number of children on the child protection register in Renfrewshire would be presented to every second meeting of the Board. Due to the January Board meeting being early in the new year it wasn’t possible to provide the report at that time. This report presents the information on the number of looked after children in Renfrewshire on 28 February 2025. 1.2. The number of looked after children in Renfrewshire continues to reduce. On 28 February 2025, there were 576 children looked after by Renfrewshire Council. 1.3. 58 children’s names were on the Renfrewshire child protection register on 28 February 2025. In addition, 4 unborn children were recorded on the Renfrewshire child protection register due to the risk of identified potential harm at birth. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1. Members are asked to: [a] note the information in this report on the number of looked after children in Renfrewshire on 28 February 2025.
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3. Background 3.1. On 31 July each year, local authorities complete a census for the Scottish Government in relation to the number of children who are looked after. Whilst the census is conducted in July the report on the data is generally not available until the following March or April. The 2024 census was conducted on 31 July 2024 and the data report from the Scottish Government is expected to be published by the end of April 2025. 3.2. It should be noted that social work in Renfrewshire operates under the principles of minimum necessary intervention and “no-order”. This means that a significant number of children and families being supported by social work aren’t reported in relation to looked after statistics. This is due to “looked after” being a specific legal definition. 3.3. The minimum necessary intervention principle requires social work to provide support and intervention at the right level at the right time to allow children and families to move out of the system quickly when challenges are addressed and resolved. The “no-order” principle means that a children’s hearing or court should only impose a compulsory order on a child where it is better for the child to do so than not have the order in place. 3.4. On 31 July 2023, Renfrewshire was responsible for 640 looked after children. After verification work the annual census data submitted by Renfrewshire on 31 July 2024 showed there were 609 looked after children for whom the council was responsible. This represents a reduction of 4.8% in the number of looked after children between the two census dates in Renfrewshire. 3.5. The Scottish Government report on looked after children in Scotland is expected to be published by the end of April 2025 and a report will be presented to the Policy Board on this when it is available. Looked after children – Renfrewshire 28 February 2025 3.6. On 28 February 2025 there were 576 looked after children in Renfrewshire. This was a decrease of 33 from the data submitted for the annual census on 31 July 2024. This represents a reduction of 5.4% from July 2024 to February 2025. Looked after at home 3.7. On 28 February 2025, 155 children were looked after at home. This compares to 169 and 155 on 31 July 2023 and 31 July 2024 respectively. This is a 10% reduction in the number of looked after children at home since 31 July 2023. 3.8. Children’s Services staff continue to be concerned in relation to the number of children who are looked after at home and are working with the Scottish Children’s Reporters Administration to understand the reasons for this and to target a further reduction in the number in a safe manner over the next year.
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3.9. Table 1 provides information on the age and gender of the children looked after at home on 28 February 2025. Table 1 Gender 0 - 4 5 - 11 12 - 15 16 - 17 Total Female 14 35 22 5 76 Male 4 34 32 9 79 18 69 54 14 155 3.10. Looked after in kinship arrangements 3.11. 234 children were looked after in kinship arrangements on 28 February 2025 compared to 266 on 31 July 2023 and 252 on 31 July 2024. The reduction in the number of children looked after in kinship is a result of some children reaching their 18th birthday and a small number of children returning to the care of one of their birth parents. 3.12. Table 2 provides information on the age and gender of the children looked after in kinship arrangements on 28 February 2025. Table 2 Gender 0 - 4 5 - 11 12 - 15 16 - 17 Total Female 16 49 32 21 118 Male 15 45 38 18 116 31 94 70 39 234 Looked after in fostering arrangements 3.13. 129 of Renfrewshire looked after children were in fostering arrangements on 28 February 2025. This compares to 143 on 31 July 2023 and 137 on 31 July 2024. 3.14. 109 of the children in foster care on 28 February 2025 were cared for by one of Renfrewshire’s foster carers and the remaining 20 were cared for by foster carers in the independent sector. 3.15. Information on the age and gender of the children looked after in foster care on 28 February 2025 is provided in table 3 for internal foster care and table 4 for independent sector arrangements.
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Table 3 – Internal foster care Gender 0 - 4 5 - 11 12 - 15 16 - 17 Total Female 12 16 14 5 47 Male 22 21 7 12 62 34 37 21 17 109 Table 4 – External foster care Gender 0 - 4 5 - 11 12 - 15 16 - 17 Total Female 2 3 5 Male 7 4 4 15 7 6 7 20 Internal children’s houses 3.16. On 28 February 2025 there were 19 looked after children in Renfrewshire’s internal children’s houses. This is the same number as reported on 31 July 2024 and one fewer than on 31 July 2023. Board is advised that the 4 internal houses can provide for the care of 22 children and young people. There are 3 young people aged between 18 and 21 currently in the houses. 3.17. Table 5 provides information on the age and gender of children in our internal children’s houses. Table 5 Gender 0 - 4 5 - 11 12 - 15 16 - 17 Total Female 3 6 9 Male 1 5 4 10 1 8 10 19 External residential 3.18. On 28 February 2025 there were 21 looked after children from Renfrewshire cared for in external residential provision. The number of Renfrewshire’s
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looked after children in external provision on 31 July 23 was 28. The number reduced to 22 by 31 July 2024. 3.19. Table 6 provides information on the age and gender of Renfrewshire’s looked after children in external residential provision. Table 6 Gender 0 - 4 5 - 11 12 - 15 16 - 17 Total Female 1 4 5 Male 2 7 7 16 2 8 10 21 Other community 3.20. The category “other community” covers looked after children (all aged 16 or 17) who are living in supported accommodation or their own tenancy. There were 9 looked after children in this category on 28 February 2025. 4 of the young people are female and 5 are male. Pre-adoption 3.21. On 28 February 2025, there were 9 looked after children in pre-adoption placement. All of the children were aged between 1 and 6 years old. 4 of the children are female and 5 are male. Implications of this report 1. Financial Implications The current number of children looked after in external residential provision is at a higher level than for a number of years. The service is working to ensure that children’s needs are met by placements and where possible they can return to Renfrewshire to mitigate demand on budgets. 2. HR and Organisational Development Implications None 3. Community Plan/Council Plan Implications Community Care, Health and Well-being - Children and families are supported to address the challenges they face. Safer and Stronger - Children and families receive the right support to ensure they are safe at home and in the community 4. Legal Implications The authority works within the legal framework to discharge its duties to
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looked after children and those involved in the child protection system. 5. Property/Assets Implications None. 6. Information Technology Implications None. 7. Equality and Human Rights Implications The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report because it is for noting only. 8. Health and Safety Implications None. 9. Procurement Implications None. 10. Risk Implications None. 11. Privacy Impact None. 12. COSLA Policy Position None. 13. 14. Climate Risk None. Children’s Rights This report demonstrates compliance with Article 3 (best interest of child), Article 9 (keeping families together), Article 12 (respect for children’s views) and 25 (review of a child’s placement) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. List of Background Papers None ___________________________________________________________________ Children’s Services JCTLG 12 August 2024 Author: John Trainer, Head of Children and Justice/Chief Social Work Officer, 0300 300 0277, john.trainer@renfrewshire.gov.uk