Quarterly child protection statistics
Theme: Quarterly child protection statistics
Purpose: For information
Authors (statisticians): Heidi Rodgers, Jessica McCluney, Malcolm Megaw
Publication date:11 May 2023
Issued by: Community Information Branch, Information and Analysis Directorate, Department of Health, Stormont Estate, Belfast, BT4 3SQ
Email: cib@health-ni.gov.uk
Webpage: Child protection register
At 31 March 2023, 2,171 children were on the child protection register in Northern Ireland, a decrease of 7.5% since 31 March 2022 (Figure 1). Table 1 sets out the children on the child protection register by age group and Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust at 31 March 2023 and Table 2 shows the trend by HSC Trust between 31 March 2022 and 31 March 2023.
The number of children on the child protection register by category of abuse, length of time on the register, and legal status by HSC Trust at 31 March 2023 are set out in Table 3, Table 4 and Table 5 respectively.
Between 31 March 2010 and 30 June 2014 there was a general decrease in the number of children on the child protection register, followed by a gradual increase in figures until 31 December 2018. Since then, the number of children on the child protection register in Northern Ireland has remained relatively stable.
HSC Trust | Under 1 year | 1 to 4 years | 5 to 11 years | 12 to 15 years | 16 years and over | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belfast | 44 | 116 | 149 | 71 | 15 | 395 |
Northern | 50 | 106 | 188 | 92 | 28 | 464 |
South Eastern | 31 | 88 | 121 | 55 | 17 | 312 |
Southern | 36 | 115 | 193 | 114 | 34 | 492 |
Western | 37 | 121 | 182 | 117 | 51 | 508 |
Northern Ireland | 198 | 546 | 833 | 449 | 145 | 2,171 |
Select the tab to view count or rate.
HSC Trust | QE 31 Mar 22 | QE 30 Jun 22 | QE 30 Sep 22 | QE 31 Dec 22 | QE 31 Mar 23 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belfast | 345 | 367 | 407 | 401 | 395 |
Northern | 522 | 488 | 530 | 471 | 464 |
South Eastern | 359 | 345 | 347 | 321 | 312 |
Southern | 591 | 532 | 531 | 499 | 492 |
Western | 529 | 551 | 590 | 534 | 508 |
Northern Ireland | 2,346 | 2,283 | 2,405 | 2,226 | 2,171 |
HSC Trust | QE 31 Mar 22 | QE 30 Jun 22 | QE 30 Sep 22 | QE 31 Dec 22 | QE 31 Mar 23 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belfast | 44.5 | 47.4 | 52.5 | 51.7 | 51.0 |
Northern | 47.8 | 44.7 | 48.5 | 43.1 | 42.5 |
South Eastern | 43.9 | 42.2 | 42.5 | 39.3 | 38.2 |
Southern | 59.4 | 53.5 | 53.4 | 50.2 | 49.5 |
Western | 72.3 | 75.3 | 80.7 | 73.0 | 69.5 |
Northern Ireland | 53.2 | 51.8 | 54.5 | 50.5 | 49.2 |
Category of abuse | Belfast | Northern | South Eastern | Southern | Western | Northern Ireland |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse | [s] | 6 | 0 | [s] | [s] | 16 |
Neglect and physical abuse | 118 | 70 | 102 | 124 | 16 | 430 |
Neglect and sexual abuse | 8 | 11 | [s] | [s] | 22 | 51 |
Physical and sexual abuse | [s] | 23 | [s] | 23 | [s] | 53 |
Neglect only | 113 | 128 | 80 | 99 | 247 | 667 |
Physical abuse only | 126 | 154 | 87 | 200 | 28 | 595 |
Sexual abuse only | 10 | 33 | 10 | 21 | 38 | 112 |
Emotional abuse only | 17 | 39 | 25 | 16 | 150 | 247 |
Total | 395 | 464 | 312 | 492 | 508 | 2,171 |
HSC Trust | Under 3 months | 3 to 6 months | 6 months to 1 year | 1 to 2 years | 2 years or more | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belfast | 105 | 76 | 115 | 60 | 39 | 395 |
Northern | 111 | 89 | 134 | 92 | 38 | 464 |
South Eastern | 75 | 50 | 83 | 70 | 34 | 312 |
Southern | 112 | 101 | 127 | 102 | 50 | 492 |
Western | 88 | 82 | 158 | 106 | 74 | 508 |
Northern Ireland | 491 | 398 | 617 | 430 | 235 | 2,171 |
Legal status | Northern Ireland |
---|---|
Accommodated (article 21) | 64 |
Interim care order (article 57) | 58 |
Care order (article 50 or 59) | 17 |
Deemed care order (paras 11 and 30 of Sch 8) | [s] |
Interim supervision order (article 57) | 5 |
Other legal status | 66 |
No legal status | 1,961 |
Total | 2,171 |
At 31 March 2023, 399 child protection referrals were received in Northern Ireland; an increase of 2% since 31 March 2022. Table 6 sets out the child protection referrals received by source of referral by HSC Trust at 31 March 2023 and Table 7a and 7b show the number and rate of child protection referrals and Table 7c shows the number of significant events that led to child protection investigations by HSC Trust from quarter ending 31 March 2022 to 31 March 2023.
Leading up to 2020, a change in reporting methodology of child protection referrals has meant referrals for children already on the social work caseload are now coded as Significant Event rather than a child protection referral. This has resulted in a series change with a sharp reduction in child protection referrals. The updated reporting methodology has been applied to HSC Trust IT systems at different times; therefore, there is no exact timestamp on the change in series.
Source of referral | Northern Ireland |
---|---|
Police | 132 |
School or EWO | 86 |
Voluntary org | 0 |
GP | 5 |
Social services | 52 |
Community nursing | [s] |
Relative, neighbour or friend | 9 |
Hospital | 21 |
Self | 0 |
Anonymous | [s] |
Other source of referral | 90 |
Total | 399 |
The trend data on the number of child protection referrals received between 31 March 2022 and 31 March 2023 by HSC Trust are set out in Tables 7a and 7b, and the number of significant events that led to child protection investigations between 31 Mar 2022 and 31 March 2023 are set out in Table 7c.
Select the tab to view count or rate.
HSC Trust | QE 31 Mar 22 | QE 30 Jun 22 | QE 30 Sep 22 | QE 31 Dec 22 | QE 31 Mar 23 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belfast | 42 | 66 | 38 | 48 | 45 |
Northern | 105 | 95 | 90 | 69 | 123 |
South Eastern | 61 | 58 | 69 | 57 | 39 |
Southern | 100 | 37 | 44 | 43 | 62 |
Western | 83 | 64 | 99 | 89 | 130 |
Northern Ireland | 391 | 320 | 340 | 306 | 399 |
HSC Trust | QE 31 Mar 22 | QE 30 Jun 22 | QE 30 Sep 22 | QE 31 Dec 22 | QE 31 Mar 23 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belfast | 5.4 | 8.5 | 4.9 | 6.2 | 5.8 |
Northern | 9.6 | 8.7 | 8.2 | 6.3 | 11.3 |
South Eastern | 7.5 | 7.1 | 8.4 | 7.0 | 4.8 |
Southern | 10.1 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 6.2 |
Western | 11.3 | 8.8 | 13.5 | 12.2 | 17.8 |
Northern Ireland | 8.9 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 6.9 | 9.0 |
HSC Trust | QE 31 Mar 22 | QE 30 Jun 22 | QE 30 Sep 22 | QE 31 Dec 22 | QE 31 Mar 23 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belfast | 87 | 71 | 95 | 96 | 108 |
Northern | 145 | 153 | 141 | 108 | 111 |
South Eastern | 79 | 70 | 78 | 52 | 75 |
Southern | 156 | 170 | 148 | 178 | 175 |
Western | 351 | 182 | 197 | 120 | 130 |
Northern Ireland | 818 | 646 | 659 | 554 | 599 |
The data presented in the figures and tables within this publication can be downloaded in excel format by clicking the button below.
The statistics presented in these tables derive from children order returns CPR2, CPR3, CPR4 and CPR5 provided by each of the five Health and Social Care Trusts (HSC) in Northern Ireland to the SPPG (Strategic Planning and Performance Group) as well as Community Information Branch within the Department of Health. These returns are part of a wider set of annual Children Order returns which together provide statistical activity counts relating to child protection, children in need, looked after children, and children’s day care. The wider set of returns are used to produce the annual publication Children’s social care statistics in Northern Ireland, which records children’s social care data at 31 March and for year ending 31 March. A technical annex and definitions used in these tables can be found in the above publication.
We welcome your feedback. If you have any comments on this publication, please contact the Community Information Branch: cib@health-ni.gov.uk