Children's Social Work Statistics 2015-16

Two per cent of children in Scotland were being looked after by local authorities or on the child protection register on July 31 2016, 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:

• 15,317 children were looked after in 2016, a decrease of one per cent from 2015, and the fourth consecutive year of decline.
• Foster care remains the most common accommodation for looked after children, accounting for over a third of looked after children (35%), whereas residential care accounts for 10% of looked after children.
• The number of adoptions of looked after children has generally increased since 2005, and eight per cent of children (341) leaving care were adopted in 2016, which is the highest recorded level.
• Permanence Orders have increased every year since 2012, and now stand at 1,971, a 12% increase on 2015.
• 2,723 children were on the child protection register at the end of July 2016. This is a decrease of one per cent since 2015, and the second consecutive year of decrease.
• Since 2013 there has been a large increase in the number of children leaving the child protection register that had been registered for more than two years, and they increased from 157 to 250 between 2015 and 2016.
• 88 young people were in secure care accommodation at the end of July 2016. The average number of young people placed in secure care accommodation during 2015-16 was 85, up from 82 during the previous year. If placements from the rest of the UK are excluded, the average number of young people from Scotland placed into secure care fell by five per cent 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.

 Background

These are annual statistics published on children who are looked after, on the child protection register or in secure care accommodation based on data collected from local authorities and secure units.

Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff – more information on the standards of official statistics in Scotland can be accessed here.

The full statistical publication can be accessed here.

Further information on Children and Families statistics within Scotland can be accessed here.