Previous JSNA products - Staffordshire Observatory

Contents

Children's social care and SEND

Research shows that children and young people in receipt of social care are likely to experience poorer outcomes than others.

  • Up until 2019 the rates of Children Subject to a Child Protection Plan (CPP were increasing, with a peak of 636. However, in 2020 we are seeing rates begin to fall.
  • Rates for Children in Need have also fallen for two consecutive years in 2019 and 2020 (5,645), following a peak in 2018.
  • Despite the recent fall in numbers, since 2016 rates of both Children in Need and Children in our Care levels have been consistently higher than similar authorities.

Increase in rates of LAC, CPP and CIN from 2017 to 2020






Comparison graphic showing changes in child safeguarding indicators between March 2017 and March 2020 using two stacked pyramid diagrams. The 2017 pyramid shows: LAC (Looked After Children) 994 children, CPP (Child Protection Plans) 540, and CIN (Children in Need) 5,418. The 2020 pyramid shows increases to LAC 1,217, CPP 636, and CIN 5,645. Between the pyramids, arrows highlight percentage increases: LAC up 22%, CPP up 18%, and CIN up 4%, alongside smaller national increases for comparison. Rates per 10,000 population are included for each category. The graphic uses black, blue, and grey sections on a light background.

Source: Local Authority Interactive Tool, Department for Education

  • In Staffordshire there are currently 1,217 children in our care - a figure that has been increasing and a rate (72 per 10,000) that is growing faster than national (67 per 10,000).
  • Risk factors identified during children's social care assessments provide an insight into potential vulnerabilities. This helps us to target early intervention and prevention - in Staffordshire the top four factors relate to: mental health, domestic violence and substance misuse (drugs and alcohol).

Factors identified at child assessment 2020-21

 






Horizontal bar chart showing the percentage of safeguarding assessments linked to different risk factors or concerns. Mental health is the most common factor at around 50%, followed by domestic violence at just under 50%. Other common factors include drug misuse (around 30%), alcohol misuse (about 26%), emotional abuse (about 24%), and neglect (about 23%). Lower-percentage categories include learning disability, physical disability, physical abuse, socially unacceptable behaviour, sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation, self-harm, young carers, going missing, gangs, privately fostered children, female genital mutilation, abuse linked to faith or belief, trafficking, and unaccompanied asylum seeker status. The x-axis shows percentages of assessments from 0% to 50%.

Source: Local Authority Interactive Tool, Department for Education

Special Educational Needs (SEND) support

  • Staffordshire has a higher than average proportion of children & young people with EHCPs in its maintained schools (4.2% of all pupils) and has the highest rate among similar authorities.
  • In the last five years EHCP numbers have also increased by two thirds - from 3,631 (2016) to 6,056 (2021) - a similar increase experienced nationally (68%).
  • In contrast, SEN Support levels (10.3%) are among the lowest of similar authorities and below national.
  • Evidence suggests children & young people with an EHCP are likely to experience poorer outcomes – just 6% of statemented/EHCP children achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at KS2 (73% non-SEN) and 9% qualified to Level 3 by age 19 (62% non-SEN).

% of Pupils with Statement/EHCP and those at SEN Support, 2021






Bar chart comparing the percentage of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) and Special Educational Needs (SEN) Support across England, statistical neighbour averages, and Staffordshire. For EHCP, Staffordshire has the highest percentage at 4.2%, compared with 3.7% in England and 3.4% for statistical neighbours. For SEN Support, England has the highest percentage at 12.2%, followed by statistical neighbours at 11.4%, and Staffordshire at 10.3%. The chart uses black bars for England, blue for statistical neighbour average, and grey for Staffordshire.

Source: Local Authority Interactive Tool, Department for Education

  • In Staffordshire the majority (98.7%) with SEN Support attend a mainstream school. However, a higher proportion of EHCP children are educated in special schools (40%) and independent special schools (7%) – a higher proportion than national (31% and 5%) and the highest of similar LAs.
  • This could partially be due to Staffordshire having a higher proportion of special school places.  The picture is however changing with the proportion of EHCP children in mainstream education increasing since 2020 – 29.6% now attend a mainstream school compared to 27.3% last year.
  • Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are the most common primary need for those with EHCPs, both in Staffordshire (26%) and nationally (31%).

Primary need (%), 2021






Horizontal bar chart comparing the types of special educational needs (SEN) among pupils receiving SEN support and those with a Statement or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Among pupils with Statements or EHCPs, the most common needs are Moderate Learning Difficulty (29.0%), Autistic Spectrum Disorder (26.1%), and Specific Learning Difficulty (15.5%). Severe Learning Difficulty is also notably higher in this group at 10.9%. Among pupils receiving SEN support, the most common needs are Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs (15.8%), Moderate Learning Difficulty (15.0%), and Speech, Language and Communication needs (13.4%). Other categories shown include physical disability, hearing impairment, visual impairment, profound and multiple learning difficulty, multi-sensory impairment, and other difficulty/disability. Percentages are displayed beside each horizontal bar, with blue representing SEN support and grey representing Statement or EHCP.

Source: Local Authority Interactive Tool, Department for Education