“Disproportionately” high rates of children in care in the North, report finds

The research, carried out on behalf of the Child of the North All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), found that in the North, the rate of children in care per 10,000 of the child population is 93, compared to 62 in the rest of England.

The North East has the highest overall care rates, followed by the North West, West Midlands and then Yorkshire and the Humber.

Researchers found that one in 52 children in Blackpool and one in 63 in Hartlepool are in care, compared to one in 256 in Buckinghamshire and one in 278 in Hertfordshire.

In England, of the cohort of children born in 2009/10, around one in five children were referred to Children’s Services before the age of five. In Liverpool, this number is one in two, the report revealed.

Researchers attributed the North-South divide in overall care rates to “widening inequalities” in children entering care since 2010, with trends reflecting changes in children and families’ socioeconomic circumstances.

The report noted: “There are deep intersectional inequalities in care. Mixed Heritage populations experience particularly high levels of both socioeconomic and ethnic inequity in care rates.”

Authors warned that the rise in child poverty between 2015 and 2020 has led to more than 10,000 additional children entering care in England - equivalent to one in 12 care entries over the period.

The report’s findings have prompted calls from Child of the North APPG members and academics for “urgent action” to address the inequalities in the care system.

The Child of the North APPG members and report authors have called for a range of measures to be considered by government including: policies to reduce child poverty; enhanced material support for families involved in Children’s Services; investment in prevention strategies; joint anti-racist and anti-poverty policies; more support for older children and those leaving care; strengthening the workforce and wider system; and optimising children’s social care data.

Dr Davara Bennett, lead author of the report and Public Health, Policy & Systems at the University of Liverpool, said: “Our report has exposed the deeply rooted social inequalities reflected in, and exacerbated by, the child welfare system. These need to be tackled head-on by policymakers. Local authorities are trapped in a cycle of ever-greater spend on children in care, at the expense of investment in effective support for families in need. The evidence shows the damage caused by cuts to prevention and failure to address the very real problem of child poverty in the North.

“There are a number of policies that, if implemented, could help reduce the number of children entering care and improve the care and support children and families receive when in need. We urge government to hear our calls for action and commit to addressing them as a priority.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Every child deserves to live in a safe and stable home and we are committed to helping children and families overcome multiple and complex needs at an early stage, so they can stay together and thrive.

“Early intervention is at the core of our ambitious children's social care reforms - including a £45m investment in pilot areas across the UK to help us shape a future system where we provide families with the right support at the right time, delivered by the right people.

“For those leaving care, we are investing £250m over three years to help them succeed - providing housing, access to education, employment, and training.”

Lottie Winson