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Children: Abuse

Volume 468: debated on Monday 3 December 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many children who were referred for an initial assessment from social services were suspected to be in danger of (a) abuse and (b) neglect in the latest period for which figures are available; (170799)

(2) how many children (a) received a core assessment from social services and (b) had further contact with social services as a result of their core assessment in the latest period for which figures are available;

(3) how many children were (a) referred for an initial assessment from social services and (b) received an initial assessment from social services in each of the last five years;

(4) what proportion of core assessments for children referred to children's social care were completed within the target timescale of 35 working days from the day of the initial assessment in the latest period for which figures are available.

The available information can be found in SFR28/2007, Referrals, Assessments and Children and Young People who are the subject of a Child Protection Plan or are on Child Protection Registers, at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000742/index.shtml on the Department’s website. The answer to question 170799 can be found in table E, the other available answers are in table A. The department does not hold information on the number of children who had further contact with social services as a result of their core assessment (PQ170800 part b).

Table A: Referrals of children and young people to children’s social care services, and assessments completed Years ending 31 March 2003 to 2007 Coverage: EnglandNumberPercentage2003200420052006200720032004200520062007Referrals of children to children’s social care services1All referrals during year570,200572,700552,000569,300545,000100100100100100of which:Referrals within 12 months of a previous referral2125,900127,400121,800132,500123,9002222222323Initial assessments completed in the year1All initial assessments completed in the year263,900290,800290,300300,200305,000100100100100100of which:Initial assessments completed within 7 working days of referral149,400169,100179,200194,900208,7005758626568Initial assessments completed in year as a percentage of all referrals in year—————4651535356Core assessments completed in the year1Total number of core assessments completed in the year55,70063,60074,10084,80093,400100100100100100of which:Core assessments completed within 35 working days of initial assessments331,00039,40049,70063,10073,3005662677478 1 Figures for referrals, initial assessments and core assessments include unborn children.2 Re-referrals relate to a previous referral to the same authority only.3 Or within 35 working days of the trigger event where this was not an initial assessment. Indicator C 64 of the Performance Assessment Framework: The proportion of core assessments that were completed within 35 working days of their commencement.Source: CPR3

Table E: Children who became the subject of a Child Protection Plan (CPP)1 , by category of abuseYears ending 31 March 2003 to 2007Coverage: England

Number

Percentage

Category of abuse

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Neglect

11,700

12,600

13,200

13,700

14,800

39

41

43

43

44

Physical abuse

5,700

5,800

5,500

5,100

5,100

19

19

18

16

15

Sexual abuse

3,000

2,800

2,700

2,600

2,500

10

9

9

8

7

Emotional abuse

5,400

5,700

5,700

6,700

7,800

18

18

19

21

23

Mixed / not recommended by ‘Working Together

4,400

4,300

3,700

3,300

3,200

15

14

12

11

10

1 Where a child was made the subject of a child protection plan (registered) more than once in the year within the same authority, each registration has been counted. These include unborn children.

Source:

CPR3