Looked after children – 2017 – 2018

How many children became ‘looked after’ in your local authority in the financial year of 2017- 2018?

There were 250 unique children who entered into care in 2017-18 (financial year 01/04/17 – 31/03/18).  There were actually 258 episodes of care starting but some children came into care and left and then came back into care all within 2017-18

Of the children in Q1, how many were in a group of siblings of two or more (I would like the number of children, not the number of groups)?

Of the 250 children who came into care in 2017, 114 came into care with a sibling (or siblings) at the same time.

How many of the children that became ‘looked after’ in your local authority in 2017 were initially placed in Kinship Care/Connected Persons care?

Twenty three

How many looked after children in your local authority are currently placed following care proceedings:
a) with long term LA foster carers –

To respond to this question effectively we would need clarification on whether you mean children subject to S20 with plan to remain in LA care or only those subject to Care Orders where plan is long term foster care or both. If subject to Care Orders do we include those with a plan of adoption and no plan to return to birth family?

b) in kinship care foster placements

Fifty two.

How many applications to be a kinship carer did you receive in 2017 in respect of children subject to Care Proceedings?
5.b. How many of those (5.a.) applications were successful?

Fifty, of those, 13 became fully approved family and friend foster carers.

How many children in your local authority were made the subject of Special Guardianship Order following Care Proceedings in 2017 -2018 ?

Thirty two

How many of your local authority’s current foster carers are prepared and approved to be long term foster carers of sibling groups of:
a) 2 b) 3 or more

Currently, 146 of our foster carers are prepared and approved to foster sibling groups of 2, and 52 of three or more. We are currently unable to determine how many are long term due to differences in definitions and data recording.