Local authority leaders have called for emergency support for children’s social care as new figures reveal councils investigate on average 600 cases a day where a child is believed to be at risk.
The latest figures from the Department for Education show there were a record high 225,400 child protection investigations in the year to 31 March 2023 in England – the equivalent of 617 a day.
Local councils are required to investigate whenever there is a reasonable cause to suspect a child is suffering – or likely to suffer – significant harm.
Cllr Arooj Shah, chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, described the figures as ‘disturbingly high’ and urged the Chancellor to provide an ‘emergency cash injection’ for children’s social care.
English councils face a £2.3bn funding gap in 2025/26, rising to £3.9bn in 2026/27, according to a previous analysis by the LGA. This represents a £6.2bn shortfall across a two-year period.
Children’s social care budgets are up 11% in real terms during the last year alone as councils see an increase in children needing support for mental health concerns and domestic abuse.
The rise in investigations has also been fuelled by an increase in schools making referrals to children’s social services, with an 8% increase in five years.
