One in four children in England require social care services by the time they turn 18, a new study has revealed.
Research by University College London found that 25.3% of children were recorded as a Child in Need at some point before they turned 18, meaning families needed support like home adaptations for disability, help to improve parenting capacity, or respite care.
Researchers also found that 6.9% of children were subject to a Child Protection Plan (CPP) before they turned 18, meaning they were at risk of or experiencing abuse or neglect.
The findings are substantially higher than annual government figures, which show that about 3% of children are recorded as a Child in Need on any given day, and 0.4% subject to a CPP.
Researchers said their findings supported a shift towards early intervention and raised questions ‘about the extent to which government policies on employment, benefits, housing, healthcare, education, social care and justice support or challenge nurturing and upbringing of children’.
They added: ‘Needs might be more effectively addressed by targeting the socio-economic and structural factors beyond individual or family circumstances that lead a large minority of children to become in contact with children’s social care services.’
