Request 101004047344

Please provide the information listed below for your authority for each year from 2014 to 2024.

1. Looked After Children (LAC) – Core Statistics
A. Children starting to be looked after
Number of children who started to be looked after.

Please specify whether figures are recorded by calendar year, financial year, or 31 March snapshot.

B. Children ceasing to be looked after
Please provide totals broken down by:

returned home

adopted

Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs)

residence orders

other permanence outcomes

C. Total number of children looked after
Total number of children looked after as of 31 March each year.

D. Calculation method
Please confirm the formula or method used to calculate yearly totals (e.g., raw counts, system reports, or national dataset imports).

2. Mental Health of Looked After Children
A. Diagnosed mental health conditions
Number of LAC with a recorded mental health diagnosis.

If diagnoses are not recorded, please confirm whether you hold:

mental health flags

CAMHS referral records

emotional wellbeing indicators

B. Pre existing vs. developed in care
Of the above:

number diagnosed before entering care

number diagnosed during care

3. Self Harm and Suicide Incidents
Number of LAC with recorded incidents of:

self harm

suicide attempts

suicide deaths

Please include incidents recorded in:

safeguarding reports

incident logs

serious incident notifications

4. Missing / Absconding / Unauthorised Absences
Number of LAC recorded as:

missing

absent without authorisation

repeatedly missing (3+ episodes)

5. Complaints, Allegations, and Data Breaches
A. Complaints
Number of complaints made against children’s social care, broken down by:

complaints by parents

complaints by looked after children

outcomes (upheld / partially upheld / not upheld)

B. Allegations
Number of allegations made against:

foster carers

residential staff

other professionals

C. Data breaches
Number of data breaches involving children’s social care, including:

how many involved children’s data

6. Parental Mental Health
Number of assessments where parental mental health was recorded as a factor, and how many resulted in:

child protection plans

children entering care

7. Outcomes for Children Returned Home
Number of children who returned home and how many:

were re referred

were re assessed

re entered care within 12 months

8. Placement Stability
Number of placement moves per child:

1–2 moves

3–5 moves

6+ moves

9. Out of Area Placements
Number of children placed outside your authority area, including distance bands:

0–20 miles

20–50 miles

50+ miles

10. Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC)
Number of UASC looked after by your authority.

11. Recording Systems
Case management system(s) used between 2014–2024 (e.g., LiquidLogic, Mosaic, CareFirst).

Whether any data migration occurred that may affect historical totals.

12. Definitions and Counting Rules
Please provide your authority’s definitions for:

started to be looked after

ceased to be looked after

placement

episode

missing

unauthorised absence

mental health diagnosis

complaint

allegation

Please confirm whether any definitions changed between 2014–2024.