ADCS

Safeguarding Pressures - Research Report

Safeguarding related pressures on local authority children’s services departments have been the subject of much discussion and media attention since the death of Baby Peter was reported in November 2008. In February 2010, the ADCS Council of Reference agreed the importance of having robust, recent, national data to evidence changes in safeguarding activity and, supported by the National College, commissioned a project to evaluate the impact of increased safeguarding activities and budget pressures associated with those increases.

The Phase 1 report in April 2010 provided analysis from 105 local authorities covering 75% of the England under 18 population and evidenced significant increase in all safeguarding activities except granting of Full Care Orders, against a fairly static population. This next phase of research takes the initial work further, exploring reasons for the increases, cost pressures and the effect of, and on, partner agencies.

Local authorities provided information about the source of initial contacts and referrals; the age and category of need of children subject of a Child Protection Plan and children looked after; national indicators relating to timeliness; financial information; Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) data; and a range of qualitative questions about safeguarding activity. The final report is based on responses from 87 local authorities (57%), covering 60% of the England under 18 population.