There were nearly 400,000 children in need in 2024 (as at 31 March), equivalent to around 1 in every 30 children. Both the number and the associated rate decreased in 2024, continuing the fall seen in 2023. However, the latest number and rate were up compared with 2020.
Number and rate (per 10,000 children) of children in need at 31 March, 2020 to 2024
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 389,260 | 388,490 | 404,310 | 403,090 | 399,460 |
| Annual change | -10,250 | -770 | 15,820 | -1,220 | -3,630 |
| Annual percentage change | -2.6 | -0.2 | 4.1 | -0.3 | -0.9 |
| Rate | 330.1 | 329.6 | 343.7 | 339.1 | 332.9 |
| Annual change | -9.7 | -0.5 | 14.1 | -4.6 | -6.2 |
Episodes of need in the year ending 31 March
An episode of need begins when a child is referred to children’s social care services and is assessed as being in need of children’s social care services. An episode of need ends when the case is closed and the child is no longer deemed to be in need of children’s social care services. Episodes of need exclude referrals which require no further action or where a child is subsequently assessed as not in need. A child can have more than one episode during the year, but episodes should not overlap.
The number of episodes starting in 2024 decreased by nearly 9,000 episodes or 2.2% compared to the previous year, and the number of episodes ending decreased by 6,300 episodes or 1.7%. In 2021, episodes of need starting and episodes ending fell to the lowest point in the series (which started in 2013), likely attributable to COVID-19. The latest figure for episodes of need starting represents the second lowest in the series.
Throughout the series, the number of episodes starting has been greater than the number of episodes ending. It is important to note that a child can have more than one episode during the year.
Duration of episodes of need in the year ending 31 March
Almost half of all episodes ending in 2024 lasted 3 months or less, whereas 1 in 10 lasted for two years or more. This pattern is similar to previous years.
Children in need at 31 March by characteristics
Gender
In 2024, males continued to be slightly over-represented in the children in need population: 55% were male, compared to 51% of the overall child population (as shown in the latest ONS mid-year population estimates (opens in a new tab)).
Ethnicity
Of those where ethnicity was known, 69% of children in need were white in 2024. 31% were from all other ethnic groups combined, up from 25% in 2015 and slightly higher than the 27% reported for the overall child population in the 2021 census (opens in a new tab).
Age
The children in need population is aging and those aged 10 and over now make up the majority (59% in 2024, up from 48% in 2015).
In 2024, young people aged 18 or over who continued to receive care, accommodation or support from children’s services accounted for 14% of children in need. Unborn children accounted for 2%.
Children in need at 31 March by gender, ethnicity and age, 2015 and 2024
2015 (%) | 2024 (%) | Change (pp) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Female | 45.5 | 43.4 | -2.1 |
| Male | 52.5 | 54.6 | 2.1 | |
| Unknown or Indeterminate/Unborn | 2.0 | 1.9 | -0.1 | |
| Ethnicity | White | 75.1 | 68.5 | -6.6 |
| Mixed | 7.8 | 9.5 | 1.7 | |
| Asian or Asian British | 6.8 | 8.3 | 1.5 | |
| Black or Black British | 8.2 | 9.3 | 1.1 | |
| Other Ethnic Groups | 2.1 | 4.4 | 2.3 | |
| Age | Unborn | 1.8 | 1.7 | -0.1 |
| Under 1 year | 5.3 | 4.0 | -1.3 | |
| 1 to 4 years | 19.6 | 14.1 | -5.5 | |
| 5 to 9 years | 25.0 | 21.3 | -3.7 | |
| 10 to 15 years | 30.1 | 32.2 | 2.1 | |
| 16 years and over | 18.2 | 26.7 | 8.5 |
- ‘pp’ indicates percentage point
Child in need plans - official statistics in development
Official statistics in development are official statistics that are undergoing development (previously called experimental statistics). Data on child in need (CIN) plans were collected and reported on for the third year in these 2024 statistics and evaluation is ongoing.
In 2024, 150 out of the 153 local authorities provided usable data on child in need plans, an increase of three from 2023. Of those that did, it is likely that recording practices varied across local authorities and therefore the data should be treated with caution.
The data has been collected with the intention of helping the department to develop its understanding of the child’s journey following a referral to children’s social care services.
A CIN plan should be developed where an assessment finds that the child requires support from their local authority’s children’s social care services to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health and/or development.
CIN plans require a lower level of intervention and are distinct from child protection plans, which are put in place when a child is found to have suffered or is likely to suffer significant harm. Children on CIN plans and children on protection plans are also distinct from: children looked after by local authorities; care leavers; those who are disabled but not on a CIN plan; and those who may potentially be on another type of plan or arrangement.
CIN plans should set out the support to be provided to a child and/or family by children’s services. The plan should also set clear measurable outcomes for the child and expectations for the parent(s) or carer(s).
150 out of 153 (98%) local authorities provided data on CIN plans. They recorded 103,440 children on CIN plans in 2024 (as at 31 March). Scaling nationally to account for missing data suggests that there were approximately 105,000 children on CIN plans in 2024, the same as the 2023 figure, but down 5,000 or 4% from 2022.