Safeguarding and Child Protection Plans

The Children in Need (CIN) Census is a statutory return that is submitted to the Department for Education on an annual basis. The latest census for which figures are published covers children’s social care activity between 1st April 2018 and 31st March 2019, with the deadline for data submission from local authorities having been 31st July 2019.

This document provides a summary of the key findings from the 2018-19 DfE statistical release for the Children in Need Census. The findings include comparisons to Derby’s previous figures and to national and comparator authority results for 2018-19 and earlier years.

Section 47 enquiries and initial child protection conferences

The number of Section 47 enquiries that children were subject to in Derby during 2018-19 (1504) has decreased from the number during 2017-18 (1645). This is a decrease of 141 (8.5%). Nationally there was a 1.5% increase over the past year. 2018-19 was the first year where Derby has seen a reduction in the number of Section 47 enquiries started in the year.
The percentage of Section 47 enquiries leading to a child protection conference has decreased slightly in Derby between 2018-19 (40.9%) and 2017-18 (44.3%). Derby’s percentage of Section 47 enquiries leading to a child protection conference remains above both the comparator authority average percentage (36.7%) and the national percentage (38.5%) for the eighth year running.
615 initial child protection conferences (ICPCs) were completed in Derby during 2018-19. The 2018-19 count (615) is a decrease of 113 (15.5%) when compared to the number completed in 2017-18 (728).
The rate per 10,000 (U18) of ICPCs that children were subject to in Derby has decreased from 122.0 in 2017-18 to 102.7 in 2018-19. Derby has the highest rate in our comparator group. Walsall and Dudley have very similar rates (98.9 and 98.2 respectively).
Derby continues to perform very well in the percentage of ICPCs taking place within 15 working days of the S47 enquiry. Derby achieved 91.1% during 2018-19, this is an improvement compared to 2017-18 (86.1%). Derby has consistently performed well above the national and comparator averages.

Children who were the subject of a child protection plan

The number of children in Derby who were the subject of a Child Protection Plan (CPP) as at 31st March 2019 was 426. This is a decrease on the 519 children on a plan at the end of 2017-18. This equates to a rate of 71.1 per 10,000 population (U18) for 2018-19.
The 2018-19 rate of children who were the subject of a CPP as at 31st March 2019 for Derby (71.1) is above the comparator authority average (49.6) and also above the national average (43.7). Derby’s rate of 71.1 per 10,000 (U18) ranks us thirteenth highest in England. This is a slight improvement compared to last year where Derby was ranked seventh highest in England.
The numbers of children who are subject to a child protection plan in Derby during 2019-20 has begun to decrease. At the time of this report the number stands at 420 (a rate of 70.1) which is a decrease of just six CPPs since 31st March 2019.
Derby had 512 children who became the subject of a CPP during 2018-19, compared to 633 children who became the subject of a CPP during 2017-18, a decrease of 121 children (19.1%).
Of the 512 children who became the subject of a CPP during 2018-19, 26.6% became the subject of a plan for the second or subsequent time. Derby is ranked 16th highest in England. This compares to 2018-19 benchmark percentages of 20.8% nationally and a comparator authority average percentage of 20.1%.
Derby had 602 children who ceased to be the subject of a CPP during 2018-19, of which 3.8% had been on a plan for 2 years or longer. This compares to 3.3% nationally and a comparator authority average percentage of 4.0% for 2018-19.
The percentage of child protection case that were reviewed within timescales improved during 2018-19 from 83.7% in 2017-18 to 93.0% in 2018-19. Derby is performing above the national figure of 91.8%.