Looked after children

Looked after children are defined as those in the care of their local authority (Children Scotland Act 1995). There are many reasons children may become looked after including: facing abuse or neglect at home; having disabilities that require special care; unaccompanied minors seeking asylum, or illegally trafficked into the UK; or involvement in the youth justice system. The processes by which children become looked after are summarised in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Children included in looked after children statistics 

Placement types

On 31 July 2023, 12,206 children were looked after, of whom 20% were placed at home and 80% away from home (Table 1.1). This is the lowest this figure has been since 2006. The number of children looked after has decreased by 2% since 2022 and by 24% since 2013. The majority of looked after children (89%) were placed in community settings. The most common community placements for looked after children were: kinship care (34%), foster care (22%), and at home with parents (20%). A smaller proportion of children (11%) were looked after in residential accommodation settings.

Table 1.1 Placement types

Number and percentage of looked after children by placement type, on 31 July 2013-2023 [Note 1], [Note 2]

On 31 July 2023, the rate of looked after children per 1,000 children (0-17 years) was 12.1 – a decrease from 12.4 in 2022 and 15.5 in 2013 (Chart 1). The greatest reduction over the past decade was observed in the rate of children looked after at home with their parents, which decreased from 4.6 per 1,000 in 2013 to 2.5 per 1,000 in 2023. The rate for those placed away from home is also down from 10.9 per 1,000 in 2013 to 9.7 per 1,000 in 2023. More specifically, the rate of children placed with foster carers and prospective adopters decreased from 5.4 per 1,000 in 2013 to 4.1 per 1,000 in 2023, while the number of children being placed in kinship care and other community placements increased slightly from 4.1 to 4.3 per 1,000 during the same period. For those children being placed in residential care settings, the rate has remained broadly stable, with a slight reduction from 1.4 per 1,000 in 2013 to 1.3 per 1,000 in 2023.

Chart 1 Rate of looked after children per 1,000 children, by placement type

Children starting and ceasing to be looked after

During 2022-23, 3,286 children ceased to be looked after – a rate of 3.3 per 1,000 children (0-17 years; Chart 2). A total of 3,004 children started to be looked after – a rate of 3.0 per 1,000 children. Compared to 2021-22, this reflects a decrease in the rate of children ceasing to be looked after (from 3.7 per 1,000) and no change in the rate of children starting to be looked after (from 3.0 per 1,000). There has been an overall reduction in the rate of both children starting to be looked after (from 4.3 per 1,000) and ceasing to be looked after (from 4.6 per 1,000) since 2012-13.

Chart 2 Children starting and ceasing to be looked after

Rate per 1,000 children starting and ceasing to be looked after during the year, 2003-2023 [Note 1], [Note 2]

[Note 3] Please note that 2022 figures have been revised since the previous year due to changes to data as part of improved year-on-year reconciliation checks.

Destination of children ceasing to be looked after

Of the 3,286 children who ceased to be looked after during 2022-23, 51% had a recorded destination of at home with their biological parents (Table 1.5). This is a considerable reduction when compared to that observed in 2012-13, where 68% of children ceasing to be looked after had a recorded destination of at home with their biological parents. 16% of children had a recorded destination of kinship care with friends or relatives, the same proportion as in the previous year, and a slight increase compared to 2012-13 (14%). 8% children who ceased to be looked after during 2022-23 had a recorded destination of ‘Other’, compared to 4% in 2012-13.

Table 1.5 Destination of children ceasing to be looked after

Number and percentage of children ceasing to be looked after during the year by destination accommodation 2013-2023  [Note 1], [Note 2], [Note 3], [Note 4], [Note 5], [Note 6]

[Note 1] A child may cease to be looked after more than once in a year and so may be counted more than once.

[Note 2] Table excludes planned series of short-term placements.

[Note 3] Please note that 2022 figures have been revised since the previous year due to ongoing validation work.

[Note 4] Some totals do not exactly equal the sum of their component parts due to the effects of rounding.

[Note 5] Cells shown as " - "  relate to 'Continuing Care' and 'Kinship Care Order' categories which were added in 2018. Prior to this, children in Continuing Care were mainly recorded in the former foster carers category, and those with Kinship Care Order were mainly recorded in the friends/relatives category.

[Note 6] 'Other' includes residential care, homeless, in custody and other destinations.

Pathway plans for children ceasing to be looked after

During 2022-23, 71% of children who were 16 years or over on the date they ceased to be looked after had a pathway plan upon discharge and just over half (52%) had a pathway co-ordinator (Table 1.6). Children whose final placement was at home were less likely to have a pathway plan (64%) than those who had been placed away from home (73%).

Table 1.6 Pathway plans

Pathway plans and co-ordinators of children who were 16 years old or over on the date they ceased to be looked after during 2022-23 [Note 1], [Note 2]

Table 1.6 Continued

[Note 1] Figures include all episodes of ceasing to be looked after beyond 16 years of age (i.e. a child may be counted more than once).

[Note 2] It may be the case that some children who don't have a relevant pathway plan/coordinator may be receiving similar support from adult services instead.

Cross UK comparisons

On 31 March 2023, Scotland’s rate of children looked after was 122 per 10,000 – down from 124 in 2022 and the lowest this figure has been since 2004 (Chart 3). Scotland’s rate of children looked after in 2023 was higher than England (71 per 10,000), Wales (116 per 10,000), and Northern Ireland (87 per 10,000). Unlike other UK nations, however, Scotland has been experiencing a consistent decline in the rates of children looked after in the last decade (Chart 3). However, UK nations operate under different legislative frameworks and, as such, are not directly comparable.

Chart 3 Cross UK comparisons

Cross UK comparisons of rate per 10,000 looked after children 31 March 2013-2023 [Note 1], [Note 2], [Note 3], [Note 4], [Note 5]

[Note 1] Scotland data is on 31st March for comparability purposes with other UK countries.              

[Note 2] Please note that Scotland 2022 figures have been revised since the previous year due to changes to data as part of improved year-on-year reconciliation checks.    

[Note 3] It should be noted that UK nations operate under different legislative frameworks, and as such are not directly comparable.

[Note 4] England data source: Children looked after in England including adoptions, Reporting year 2023

[Note 5] Wales data source: Children looked after

[Note 6] Northern Ireland Source: Children's social care statistics for Northern Ireland 2022/23

[Note 7] Rate per 10,000 for 2022 and 2023 calculated using NRS mid 2022 population estimates. Rates may vary slightly from previous publications due to updated mid year population estimates.