Children Looked After 903 Return – Statistical First Release

Hull Children, Young People and Family Services Operational Analysis, Research and Assurance Service

Children Looked After 903 Return – Statistical First Release – 10 December 2020

The 2019/20 release covers all children who were looked after at any point in the return year, covering the period 01 April 2019 – 31 March 2020.

The 0-17 population of children and young people has increased 0.6% on last year’s figure, from 57,023 to 57,370, which is now used to calculate local performance rates.

A further release will follow from the DfE with more detailed information and comparisons.

Rate of Children Looked After at 31 March 2020

160 151 139 140 134 124 119 117 120

100

0 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20

Hull Statistical Neighbours Yorkshire & Humber England

At 31 March 2020, there were 867 children looked after in Hull, a 9.6% increase on 2019’s recorded figure of 793 and a 31% increase on 2015’s figure of 661. The rate of children looked after per 10,000 in Hull was 151.

Hull had the 6th highest rate of looked after children amongst other local authorities across the country, with the top 5 being statistical neighbours to Hull.

Statistical Neighbours:

At 31 March 2020, the CLA rate for statistical neighbours was 137.2, an 8.5% rise on the previous year. North East Lincolnshire (27.7%), Middlesbrough (18.9%), Blackpool (13.2%) Hartlepool (11.3%) witnessed the higher rises than Hull. Portsmouth, South Tyneside, and Salford all recorded lowering rates of CLA on the previous year.

The average number of CLA within the statistical neighbour group was 531.

% LA 2019 2020 Variance North East Lincolnshire 130 166 27.7 Middlesbrough 159 189 18.9 Blackpool 197 223 13.2 Hartlepool 142 158 11.3 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 139 151 8.6 Stoke-on-Trent 148 159 7.4 Plymouth 78 82 5.1 Southampton 95 95 0.0 Portsmouth 111 106 -4.5 South Tyneside 102 97 -4.9 Salford 103 97 -5.8

Yorkshire and Humber

The rate for Yorkshire and Humber was 77, a 4.1% increase on the previous year.

England

The reported rate of CLA across England at 31 March 2020 was 67, a 2.6% increase on 2019. 18 other local authorities recorded higher rises in rates of CLA on the previous year in comparison to Hull, with Blackpool, Middlesbrough, North East Lincolnshire and Hartlepool (all statistical neighbours) recording the higher rate increases than Hull. The highest rates of CLA in England were Blackpool at 223, Middlesbrough at 189 and North East Lincolnshire at 166.

59 local authorities reduced the number of CLA at 31 March 2020, with Wokingham, Swindon, and Bracknell Forest seeing the largest reduction in rates compared to the previous year.

Rates of children who started to be looked after during the year

70 58 60 55 51 47 50 44 42 40

0 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20

Hull Statistical Neighbours Yorkshire and Humber England

Hull recorded 330 admissions into care during 2019/20, a 22.7% increase on the previous year and a reversal of a previously downwards trajectory. Hull’s rate of children starting to be looked after was 58, which is above the statistical neighbour average.

Statistical Neighbours:

The statistical neighbour average rate for CLA starting was 54, which is an increase on the previous year of 9.2%. Blackpool, Middlesbrough, North East Lincolnshire and Hartlepool were four of the top five rates of children starting to be looked after in England. Four of the ten statistical neighbours recorded reductions in CLA starting, with South Tyneside recording the biggest reduction (25%).

Yorkshire and Humber:

The rate of CLA starting for Yorkshire and Humber was 28, which is a 3% increase on the previous year.

England:

Of the top ten highest recorded rates of CLA starting across England, the top four are statistical neighbours. Hull was 5th nationally for rates of CLA starting

North Lincolnshire recorded the highest reduction in the rate of CLA starting (-61%) from 2018/19 to 2019/20.

Middlesbrough, Blackpool, North East Lincolnshire, and Hartlepool had the four highest rates recorded, all of these authorities are statistical neighbours.

Rates of children who ceased to be looked after during the year

48 49 50 45 40 41 41 40

0 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20

Hull Statistical Neighbours Yorkshire and Humberside England

260 children ceased to be looked after in Hull during 2019/20, a 12.1% increase on 2018/19. Hull’s 2019/20 ceasing rate was 45, which reverses the downward trend from 2016/17, discharge levels remain below the rate of admissions which results in a net gain of CLA at 31 March 2020.

Statistical Neighbours:

The statistical neighbour rate was 43.1, an 8.1% increase on the previous year. There are four Statistical Neighbours in the top 10 for rates of children ceased to be looked after, they are Middlesbrough (60), Hartlepool (58), Blackpool (55), and Portsmouth (47). Hull (45) is above the Statistical Neighbour average of 43.1. North East Lincolnshire saw the highest increase in the rate of CLA ceased from 31 to 41.

The highest increase in rate of CLA ceasing was North East Lincolnshire, who increased from a rate of 31 in 2018/19 to a rate of 41.

Yorkshire and Humber:

The rate for CLA ceasing in Yorkshire and Humber was 26, which is above the 2018/19 rate of 24.

England:

The highest rate of CLA ceasing at 120 was City of London, who have a small population and an additional three children have influenced this rate. Of the top 10 rates of ceasing, four local authorities within Hull’s group of statistical neighbours reported the highest rates.

Hull was 10th highest rate compared to all local authorities for CLA ceasing. Across the country Gateshead and Sunderland recorded larges reductions in rates, with St Helens and North Tyneside recording the highest increase in rates on the previous year.

Adoptions

25 22

14 15 13 12 12

10 9

0 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20

Hull Statistical Neighbours Yorkshire and Humberside England

Adoptions in Hull have remained at 12%, despite an increase in the number of children adopted from 28 in 2018/19 to 32 in 2020.

Yorkshire and Humber also saw a decrease from 15% to 14% on last year, as did England from 12% to 11%. The statistical neighbour average of 12% is a reduction of 1 percentage point on 2019.

Hull’s highest peak of percentage adopted over the past five years was 22% in 2015, and lowest 9% in 2015/16.

Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers:

At 31 March 2020, Hull reported 34 UASC children in care during the year, a reduction on last year’s figure of 40. The authority with the highest number of Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers was Kent with 426, an increase of 170 on the previous year. 35 local authorities recorded no UASC were in care during the year.

Hull’s number of UASC was the second highest amongst the statistical neighbour group, with Portsmouth the highest at 99. Two authorities within the group- Middlesbrough and South Tyneside reported no UASC children in the year.

Salford, Portsmouth, North East Lincolnshire and Hartlepool saw a reduction in the number of UASC at 31 March 2020.

England recorded 5000 UASC which is a reduction of 140 on the 2018/19 total of 5140 (-2.7%).

Denise Beel 10 December 2020