Data set from Children looked after in England including adoptions

Official Statistics - CLA who were missing or away from placement without authorisation - LA

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Note: These statistics are published as Official Statistics. Users should be cautious making comparisons between local authorities, or across years due to changing reporting practices - see the methodology document for further information.

Children looked after who were missing or away from placement without authorisation. Data formerly in table LAG1.

For some local authorities, such as Kent or Croydon, the figures may be impacted by significant numbers of unaccompanied asylum seeking children


Data set details

Theme
Children's social care
Publication
Children looked after in England including adoptions
Release type
Geographic levels
Local authority, National, Regional
Indicators
  • Number
Filters
  • Children who are missing or away without authorisation
Time period
2018 to 2022

Data set preview

Table showing first 5 rows, from underlying data
time_periodtime_identifiergeographic_levelcountry_codecountry_nameregion_coderegion_nameold_la_codela_namenew_la_codecla_groupnumber
2018Reporting yearLocal authorityE92000001EnglandE12000003Yorkshire and The Humber384WakefieldE08000036Number of missing incidents during the year329
2018Reporting yearLocal authorityE92000001EnglandE12000001North East390GatesheadE08000037Number of away from placement without authorisation incidents during the year165
2018Reporting yearLocal authorityE92000001EnglandE12000001North East390GatesheadE08000037Number of missing incidents during the year322
2018Reporting yearLocal authorityE92000001EnglandE12000001North East391Newcastle upon TyneE08000021Number of away from placement without authorisation incidents during the year0
2018Reporting yearLocal authorityE92000001EnglandE12000001North East391Newcastle upon TyneE08000021Number of missing incidents during the year756

Variables in this data set

Table showing all 2 variables
Variable nameVariable description
cla_groupChildren who are missing or away without authorisation
numberNumber

Footnotes

  1. Missing is defined as a looked after child who is not at their placement or a place they are expected to be and their whereabouts is not known.
  2. Figures for 2021 exclude data for Hackney who were unable to provide figures.
  3. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. Figures exclude children looked after under a series of short-term placements. Historical data may differ from older publications which is mainly due to amendments made by local authorities after the previous publication.
  4. Since 2017 a growing number of local authorities informed the department that they do not record incidents as 'away without authorisation' but instead report all incidents as 'missing' to maintain consistency with local police reporting. We estimate this could mean an overestimate of missing incidents of up to 8% in 2018, 10% in 2019, 13% in 2020 and 2021 and 10% in 2022; suggesting the true figures could be more like 10,700, 10,800, 11,000, 9,600 and 11,100. There is a corresponding estimate of an undercount of away without authorisation incidents of up to 18% in 2018, 22% in 2019, 29% in 2020, 32% in 2021 and 30% in 2022; suggesting the true figures could be more like 4,700, 4,700, 4,800, 3,800 and 3,600. However some of these local authorities submitted some 'away without authorisation' information and this has been included in the away from placement without authorisation table.
  5. Away from placement without authorisation is defined as a looked after child whose whereabouts is known but who is not at their placement or place they are expected to be and the carer has concerns or the incident has been notified to the local authority or the police.

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