Publication of ‘Children’s Social Care Statistics for Northern Ireland 2019/20’

Date published: 7 January 2021

Key Facts and Figures:

Children in Need

• At 31 March 2020, 22,414 children in Northern Ireland were known to Social Services as a child in need;
  
• Some 33,885 children were referred to Social Services during 2019/20, the largest proportion of these children were referred by the Police (33%).

Child Protection Register

• At 31 March 2020, 2,298 children were listed on the Child Protection Register;

• Neglect and physical abuse were the main reasons for a child being on the Child Protection Register and accounted for over three quarters of all on the register (78%);

• A total of 3,058 child protection referrals were received by HSC Trusts, a 3% decrease on the previous year;

• There were 2,040 new registrations to the Child Protection Register and 1,945 de- registrations during the year.

Children in care

• At 31 March 2020, 3,383 children and young people were in care in Northern Ireland. This was the highest number recorded since the introduction of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;

• Some 21% of the children in care had been looked after for less than a year, with 30% looked after for five years or longer;

• Almost four fifths of the children in care were in foster care placements (79%), 10% placed with parents, 6% in residential care and 5% in other placements. This was similar to previous years;

• During 2019/20 there were 896 admissions to care and 746 discharges;

• At 30 June 2020, there were 48 Children’s Residential Homes in Northern Ireland, 42 homes were statutory and 6 were independent.

Children’s day care

• At 31 March 2020 there were 3,955 individuals/facilities registered as day care provision for children aged 12 and under in Northern Ireland. This was a 3% decrease on the previous year;

• Similar to the previous year, child-minders made up the largest number of day care providers followed by, in descending order, playgroups, day nurseries, out of school clubs and other organisations;

• At 31 March 2020 there were 61,566 registered places for day care in Northern Ireland representing an increase of 2% on the previous year.