The number of children in care applications is on the rise, shown by figures released by the adoption and care process body, Cafcass June 2013.
Blackpool, Stockton-on-Tees and South Tyneside had the highest number of care applications per 10,000 children. But in which areas are the applications increasing? St Helens, saw the number almost double, to become the fourth highest nationally.
Thurrock, a town which finished last on the government’s wellbeing survey July 2012, has seen an even larger rise, more than double the numbers of children for care and now among the top twenty.
Overall, London-Havering, Thurrock and St Helens saw the largest relative increase amongst the English authorities between 2012-13. Out of the top eleven, five were in London.
Which care applications fell the most in the same period? York which more than halved the number, at 60%.
In the City of London, the care applications rocketed, 2009 – 2012, before dropping again. Why?
“The City of London used to be on the Croydon duty rota (we took unaccompanied asylum seeking children) but we came off in 2009 due to a lack of resources,” said Shaista Afzal, City of London team manager.
What is the difference between the authorities having the highest number of applications and those having the lowest, per number of children?
The biggest is between Blackpool with 32 and the Isles of Scilly with zero.
The Isles of Scilly comes top not having a single application in 2012 or again in 2013.
Seaside towns are reportedly suffering above average levels of deprivation so are receiving funding from the Coastal Communities Fund.
Margate, Clacton, Blackpool and Skegness in Lincolnshire are on that list, the Independent said.
Here are the calculations on the Cafcass data, Pages 7 – 11.
Download the original data at : Cafcass care application figures June 2013
