Quarterly child protection statistics

1. Children on the child protection register

At 30 September 2024, 2,268 children were on the child protection register in Northern Ireland, an increase of 1% since 30 September 2023 (Figure 1). Table 1 sets out the children on the child protection register by age group and Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust at 30 September 2024 and Table 2 shows the trend by HSC Trust between 30 September 2023 and 30 September 2024.

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 30 September 2024 are set out in Table 3, Table 4 and Table 5 respectively. Southern HSC Trust data for quarter ending December 2023 was revised in February 2024.

Figure 1: Children on the child protection register at quarter end (March 2010 to September 2024)

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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.

Table 1: Children on the child protection register by age and Health and Social Care Trust at 30 September 2024

HSC Trust	Under 1 year	1 to 4 years	5 to 11 years	12 to 15 years	16 years and over	Total
Belfast	54	82	151	65	17	369
Northern	49	134	228	125	31	567
South Eastern	27	90	156	58	20	351
Southern	53	104	208	106	22	493
Western	32	102	176	136	42	488
Northern Ireland	215	512	919	490	132	2,268

Table 2: Children on the child protection register by Health and Social Care Trust, quarter ending 30 September 2023 to 30 September 2024

Note: Southern HSC Trust data for quarter ending December 2023 was revised in February 2024.

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2a Count at QE

Figures at quarter ending (QE).
HSC Trust	QE 30 Sep 23	QE 31 Dec 23	QE 31 Mar 24	QE 30 Jun 24	QE 30 Sep 24
Belfast	402	414	410	353	369
Northern	494	463	502	528	567
South Eastern	326	357	371	360	351
Southern	534	540	508	492	493
Western	489	536	543	512	488
Northern Ireland	2,245	2,310	2,334	2,245	2,268

2b Rate (per 10,000 population under 18) at QE

Rate is per 10,000 population aged under 18.
HSC Trust	QE 30 Sep 23	QE 31 Dec 23	QE 31 Mar 24	QE 30 Jun 24	QE 30 Sep 24
Belfast	51.9	53.4	54.1	46.6	48.7
Northern	45.2	42.4	46.7	49.1	52.8
South Eastern	39.9	43.7	45.3	43.9	42.8
Southern	53.7	54.3	51.7	50.0	50.1
Western	66.9	73.3	75.9	71.5	68.2
Northern Ireland	50.9	52.4	53.6	51.6	52.1

Table 3: Children on the child protection register by category of abuse and Health and Social Care Trust at 30 September 2024

Note: [s] indicates figures that have been suppressed to avoid personal disclosure.
Category of abuse	Belfast	Northern	South Eastern	Southern	Western	Northern Ireland
Neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse	[s]	11	5	[s]	[s]	22
Neglect and physical abuse	142	130	124	129	19	544
Neglect and sexual abuse	7	16	11	7	33	74
Physical and sexual abuse	[s]	14	5	[s]	[s]	34
Neglect only	123	154	76	108	311	772
Physical abuse only	80	169	79	178	9	515
Sexual abuse only	5	48	14	23	34	124
Emotional abuse only	10	25	36	33	78	182
Total	369	567	350	493	488	2,267

Table 4: Children on the child protection register by duration on the register and Health and Social Care Trust at 30 September 2024

HSC Trust	Under 3 months	3 to 6 months	6 months to 1 year	1 to 2 years	2 years or more	Total
Belfast	68	49	111	121	20	369
Northern	137	105	177	94	54	567
South Eastern	59	67	119	84	22	351
Southern	110	99	136	113	35	493
Western	76	107	140	110	55	488
Northern Ireland	450	427	683	522	186	2,268

Table 5: Children on the child protection register by legal status at 30 September 2024

Note: [s] indicates figures that have been suppressed to avoid personal disclosure.
Legal status	Northern Ireland
Accommodated (article 21)	109
Interim care order (article 57)	68
Care order (article 50 or 59)	19
Deemed care order (paras 11 and 30 of Sch 8)	0
Interim supervision order (article 57)	7
Other legal status	37
No legal status	2,028
Total	2,268

2. Child protection referrals

At 30 September 2024, 357 child protection referrals were received in Northern Ireland; an increase of 27% since 30 September 2023. Table 6 sets out the child protection referrals received by source of referral by HSC Trust at 30 September 2024 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 30 September 2023 to 30 September 2024. Southern HSC Trust data for quarter ending December 2023 was revised in February 2024.

Figure 2: Number of referrals to child protection register received at quarter end (March 2010 to September 2024)

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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.

Table 6: Child protection referrals by source of referral quarter ending 30 September 2024

Note: [s] indicates figures that have been suppressed to avoid personal disclosure.
Source of referral	Northern Ireland
Police	147
School or EWO	18
Voluntary org	[s]
GP	6
Social services	27
Community nursing	0
Relative, neighbour or friend	[s]
Hospital	16
Self	0
Anonymous	14
Other source of referral	126
Total	357

The trend data on the number of child protection referrals received between 30 September 2023 and 30 September 2024 by HSC Trust are set out in Tables 7a and 7b, and the number of significant events that led to child protection investigations between 30 Sept 2023 and 30 September 2024 are set out in Table 7c.

Tables 7a and b: Child protection referrals received by Health and Social Care Trust quarter ending 30 September 2023 to 30 September 2024

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7a Count at QE

Figures at quarter ending (QE).
HSC Trust	QE 30 Sep 23	QE 31 Dec 23	QE 31 Mar 24	QE 30 Jun 24	QE 30 Sep 24
Belfast	34	34	57	55	33
Northern	75	124	102	110	125
South Eastern	50	59	64	35	51
Southern	53	69	70	71	74
Western	69	76	125	116	74
Northern Ireland	281	362	418	387	357

7b Rate (per 10,000 population under 18) at QE

Rate is per 10,000 population aged under 18.
HSC Trust	QE 30 Sep 23	QE 31 Dec 23	QE 31 Mar 24	QE 30 Jun 24	QE 30 Sep 24
Belfast	4.4	4.4	7.5	7.3	4.4
Northern	6.9	11.3	9.5	10.2	11.6
South Eastern	6.1	7.2	7.8	4.3	6.2
Southern	5.3	6.9	7.1	7.2	7.5
Western	9.4	10.4	17.5	16.2	10.3
Northern Ireland	6.4	8.2	9.6	8.9	8.2

Table 7c: The number of significant events that subsequently led to child protection investigations by Health and Social Care Trust quarter ending 30 September 2023 to 30 September 2024

Note: Southern HSC Trust data for quarter ending December 2023 was revised in February 2024.

HSC Trust	QE 30 Sep 23	QE 31 Dec 23	QE 31 Mar 24	QE 30 Jun 24	QE 30 Sep 24
Belfast	107	101	65	72	93
Northern	131	117	184	146	120
South Eastern	88	96	88	95	65
Southern	167	179	170	191	96
Western	146	190	148	153	96
Northern Ireland	639	683	655	657	470

3. Download data

The data presented in the figures and tables within this publication can be downloaded in excel format by clicking the button below.

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Quarterly data: 33KB

Metadata

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.

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