Children's Social Work Statistics Scotland: 2021 to 2022

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 summarized in Figure 2.

Figure 2 Children included in looked after children statistics

A child may be looked after when they are accommodated under S.25 which may or may not at any point lead to a referral to the Reporter. A referral to the Reporter may lead to an investigation which may lead to a Hearing (or discharge case or voluntary measures). A Hearing may lead to a Compulsory Supervision Order (CSO) or a CSO with secure care authorization (or no order). A CSO may lead to a child being looked after away from home or at home. For those looked after away from home this may lead to a recommendation for permanence away from home. For those with a CSO with secure care authorisation may lead to placement in secure care. For those looked after away from home, at home, or in secure care, there will be regular reviews until case is discharged or the CSO terminated.

Placement types

On 31 July 2022, 12,596 children were looked after (see Table 2.1). This is a 5% decrease from 2021 and the lowest this figure has been since 2005. The majority of looked after children (90%) were placed in community settings. The most common community placements for looked after children were: kinship care (34%), foster care (33%), and at home with parents (21%). A smaller proportion of children (10%) were looked after in residential settings.

Table 2.1 Number and percentage of looked after children by placement type, on 31 July [Note 1], [Note 2]

[Note 1] Please note that 2021 figures have been revised since 2020-21 due to ongoing validation work.

[Note 2] Some percentage totals do not exactly equal the sum of their component parts due to the effects of rounding.

[Note 3] The bulk of the ‘other residential’ placements are private/independent residential placements for young people with complex needs.

On 31 July 2022, the rate per 1,000 of looked after children (0-17 years) was 12.3 – a decrease from 12.9 in 2021 and 15.7 in 2012 (see Chart 5). In terms of placement types, the greatest decrease over the past decade was observed in the rate of children looked after at home with their parents, which has nearly halved from 5.0 per 1,000 in 2012 to 2.6 per 1,000 in 2022.  The rate for those placed away from home is also down from 10.7 per 1,000 in 2012 to 9.7 per 1,000 in 2022. More specifically, the rate of children placed with foster carers and prospective adopters has also decreased from 5.3 in 2012 to 4.2 per 1,000 in 2022, while the number of children being placed in kinship care and other community placements has increased slightly from 4.0 to 4.2 per 1,000 during the same period. Lastly, the rate of children being placed in residential care settings has remained broadly stable (1.4 in 2012 and 1.3 in 2022).

Chart 5 Rate per 1,000 looked after children by placement type, 2006-2022 [Note 1]

[Note 1] Rate per 1,000 for 2021 and 2022 calculated using NRS mid 2021 population estimates. Rates may vary slightly from previous publications due to updated Mid-Year Population Estimates.

Care plans

As at 31 July 2022, 88% of looked after children had a current care plan (see Table 2.2) down compared to 95% in the previous year. Of those looked after, 87% of children placed at home had a current care plan, relatively comparable to those placed away from home (88%). In terms of specific placement types away from home, those placed with kinship carers were less likely to have a current care plan (83%), compared with of those in foster care placements (92%), those staying with prospective adopters/ other community placements (92%) and those placed in residential care (91%).

Table 2.2 Number and percentage of looked after children with and without a current care plan by placement type, on 31 July 2022 [Note 1]

[Note 1] Some children without a current care plan may have one in progress on this date; local recording may differ with regard to when a care plan is recorded as being in place.

Children starting and ceasing to be looked after

During 2021-22, 3,550 children ceased to be looked after while 2,909 children started to be looked after – a rate of 3.5 and 2.8 per 1,000 children (0-17 years), respectively (see Chart 6). Compared to the previous year, this reflects a decrease in the rate of children ceasing to be looked after (3.9 per 1,000 during 2020-21) and no change in the rate of children starting to be looked after (2.8 per 1,000 during 2020-21). Over the last decade, there has been a notable reduction from 4.6 per 1,000 for both children starting (4,768) and ceasing (4,811) to be looked after in 2011-12.

Chart 6 Rate per 1,000 looked after children starting and ceasing to become looked after during the year, 2003-2022 [Note 1], [Note 2]

[Note 1] Rate per 1,000 for 2021 and 2022 calculated using NRS mid 2021 population estimates. Rates may vary slightly from previous publications due to updated Mid-Year Population Estimates.

[Note 2] A child may start to be looked after more than once in a year and so may be counted more than once.

Children starting to be looked after

During 2021-22, 2,909 children started to be looked after – a 1% increase from 2,876 in 2020-21 (see Table 2.3). The proportion of males and females starting to be looked after remained relatively similar to that in 2020-21. Compared with 2011-12, the proportion of males starting to be looked after has increased (from 51% to 55% in 2021-22) while the proportion of females has decreased (from 49% to 45% in 2021-22). In terms of children’s age, the proportion of children starting to be looked after who were aged 4 years and under has declined since 2011-12, while the proportion of 16-17 year olds starting to be looked after has been on an upward trend.

Table 2.3  Number and percentage of children starting to be looked after during the year by sex and age of child [Note 1], [Note 2], [Note 3], [Note 4]

[Note 1] A child may start 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] Cells containing " * " represent small numbers that are suppressed to maintain confidentiality. Other cells may be suppressed to avoid calculation of other suppressed values.

[Note 4] Please note that 2021 figures have been revised since 2020-21 due to ongoing validation work.

[Note 5] For a very small number of children Male or Female sex was not specified. To maintain their confidentiality they have been counted in the Male category.