Data set from Children looked after in England including adoptions

CLA ceasing during the year by characteristics - NATIONAL

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Children who ceased to be looked after during the year by gender, age on ceasing, reason episode ceased, legal status, category of need, ethnicity, placement and duration of latest period of care. Data formerly in tables D1, D2 and D3.

Data set details

Theme
Children's social care
Publication
Children looked after in England including adoptions
Release type
Geographic levels
National
Indicators
  • Number
  • Percentage
Filters
  • Characteristic
Time period
2020 to 2024

Data set preview

Table showing first 5 rows, from underlying data
time_periodtime_identifiergeographic_levelcountry_codecountry_namecla_groupcharacteristicnumberpercentage
2024Reporting yearNationalE92000001EnglandAge on ceasing1 to 4 years634019
2024Reporting yearNationalE92000001EnglandAge on ceasing10 to 15 years483014
2024Reporting yearNationalE92000001EnglandAge on ceasing16 years20806
2024Reporting yearNationalE92000001EnglandAge on ceasing17 years19406
2024Reporting yearNationalE92000001EnglandAge on ceasing5 to 9 years369011

Variables in this data set

Table showing all 3 variables
Variable nameVariable description
characteristicCharacteristic
numberNumber
percentagePercentage

Footnotes

  1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. Figures in some tables may be suppressed, denoted by a 'c', percentages <0.5% are denoted by a 'k' . Historical data may differ from older publications which is mainly due to amendments made by local authorities after the previous publication. However, users looking for a longer time series may wish to check for the equivalent table in earlier releases of this publication. Figures exclude children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
  2. Only the last occasion on which a child ceased to be looked after in the LA during the year has been counted. The care of a small number of children each year is transferred between LAs, in national figures these children will be counted as ceasing once within each LA. For more information see the methodology document.
  3. Period of care refers to a continuous period of being looked after, which may include more than one placement or legal status.
  4. FFA relates to Fostering for Adoption. Foster placements 'not FFA or concurrent planning' include children in long term foster placements.
  5. Category of need is the main category of the eight “need codes” at the time the child started to be looked after.
  6. 'Youth Justice legal statuses' refers to children: remanded to LA accommodation or youth detention accommodation under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012; placed in LA accommodation under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984; or, sentenced to a youth rehabilitation order with residence or intensive fostering requirement under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (as amended).
  7. In 2024, 58% of all children who were stated as ceasing due to other reasons left care on their 18th birthday.
  8. In 2024 there were 13 secure units in England, therefore most placements will inevitably be outside the council boundary.
  9. 'Aged 18 (or over) and remained with current carers' was a new category introduced in 2021. It's likely many of these children were previously reported within the 'care ceased for any other reason'.
  10. From 28 April 2023, supported accommodation providers in England were able to register with Ofsted and it became illegal for a supported accommodation provider to operate if they had not submitted a complete application which had been accepted by 28 October 2023. For 2024, figures in the category 'Total independent and semi-independent living arrangements/supported accommodation' include young people who ceased to be looked after before 28 October 2023 and were placed in former semi independent living accommodation or who formerly lived independently, and also young people who ceased to be looked after from 28 October 2023 onwards who had been placed in registered supported accommodation. 
  11. Young people who ceased to be looked after from former semi independent accommodation on or after 28 October 2023, where the provider did not submit a complete application to Ofsted by 28 October 2023, have been reported as ceasing from an 'Other' placement.

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