Why is our data different to DfE published data? -
As at 31 March 2013 the DfE reported that there were 68,110 children and young people being looked after, as opposed to the 67,886 cited here; a difference of approximately 200 children looked after. Some explanations for this difference are given below.
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The quality assurance process for this data collection checked for discrepancies in local authority submissions against the DfE statistical release and where these were found, local authorities were asked to explain any inconsistencies. Some indicated that they had updated their records since they had submitted their SSDA903 return, while others stated that they had submitted their return with errors that had since been corrected. There were 59 placements submitted by local authorities that had a placement start date after 31 March 2013, and 880 without a placement start date.
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The quality assurance process also found errors in placement codes given by local authorities to the DfE. Some fostering codes, for example, were given for children who had been placed for adoption. Most of the children originally recorded as living in residential special schools were, in fact, living in children’s homes that had educational facilities. In addition, most children and young people recorded as living in adult residential care were in children’s homes. A breakdown of the most significant changes in placement codes before and after our quality assurance procedures can be viewed in the table below:3
Table 1: Summary of key placement codes before and after Ofsted quality assurance
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Upon completion of the quality assurance process, we had placement details for a further 79 children and young people not provided to the DfE. The main reason given by local authorities for their initial data not including all children they had placed was that their systems had not been updated for all placements by the end of July 2013, the deadline for the collection of the DfE data.
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Another difference between our data and the DfE data is the way in which some placement types are aggregated, in DfE publications, which means the data cannot be directly compared. For example, the way in which the DfE have aggregated data about secure units, hostels and children’s home placements into one group has not been replicated here. Ofsted separately counts hostels as non-inspected provisions.
What type of placements were children living in? -
There were 67,886 children looked after by local authorities in England as at 31 March 2013.
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The largest proportion of these children (75%) was in foster placements (50,804 children). Almost 11% were placed in a foster placement with a relative or friend, while the remaining 64% were placed in a foster placement with other foster carers.
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Almost one in ten children looked after (6,141) were placed in children’s homes.4
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Five per cent of children were placed for adoption (3,402). Eight percent of children placed for adoption were placed with their current foster carer.
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Almost 5% of children looked after were placed with their own parents or other person with parental responsibility (3,257).
Chart 15 6
Quality of children’s placements -
We matched the placement data collected with Ofsted inspection outcomes, using our Unique Reference Numbers as assigned to individual registrations. Information on inspection outcomes refers only to the latest full inspection outcome for each provider as at 31 March 2013, and does not take into account any subsequent inspection, either full or interim.
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The information included, below, does not, therefore, tell us about the quality of the placement at the time the child was placed, or any progress made since by those providers that were judged to be less than Good.
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Inspection outcomes for adoption and fostering services only tell us about the quality of the services that recruit, train and support adopters and foster carers, not about the nature of the placement itself. The outcomes also refer only to the most recent stand-alone inspection of services and do not take into account any outcomes from the inspections of “Children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers” which have replaced regulatory inspections of fostering and adoption services.
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There were 60,395 children placed with providers inspected by Ofsted. There were 7,491 children in placements that were either not inspected by Ofsted, in placement with provisions that had not yet been inspected at this date, or where there was insufficient information given to verify the provider.7 Services that had not been inspected by this date are those that were newly registered.
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Of the 60,395 children in placements that are inspected by Ofsted, 79% were in placement with providers with Good or Outstanding judgements for Overall effectiveness or Overall quality.
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Almost one in four children in children’s homes and one in five in foster placements were placed with an Adequate/Satisfactory provider.
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Two thirds of children placed in residential schools were in settings judged to be Outstanding.
Chart 2 8
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Seven local authorities had placed over 80% of their children looked after in Outstanding provisions. These were Rutland, Lincolnshire, Southampton, City of London, Poole, North Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.
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There were 426 children and young people, placed by 87 local authorities, in settings judged to be Inadequate at their most recent inspection as at 31 March 2013. Over 40% of these children (186) were placed in children’s homes, while around a third (137) were placed for adoption. The majority of the remaining children (96) were placed in foster placements using Inadequate fostering services. Of the 426 children and young people living in Inadequate provisions in March 2013, Kent had placed 89 children and young people (21%), Nottinghamshire had placed 63 (15%) and Derby had placed 22 (5%).
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As stated above, the quality of placements, as at 31 March 2013, does not reflect the quality of placements either at the time the children were placed, or any progress that provisions have since made. Many of these settings, particularly children’s homes, have made Good progress since 31 March 2013. At the time of writing there are very few children’s homes currently judged to be Inadequate.9
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One in five children living in foster care (around 10,000) were placed using providers judged to be Adequate/Satisfactory.
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