Looked after children (health and wellbeing needs in South Tyneside)

There is no single factor which creates the circumstances in which children are brought into the care of the Local Authority. The interactions between contributory factors are complex and frequently circular, affecting families' capacity to protect and support their children:

• parenting capacity, which can be affected by a range of factors such as economic situation, prior education and educational experience; physical and emotional well-being; offending;
• family capacity for protection, including capacity to accept and invest in support to enhance their protective role;
• extent of child or adult disability including physical, learning and mental health difficulties
• negative parental behaviours, for example domestic violence or substance use, use of alcohol, neglectful parenting

As children develop independence and in particular, move into adolescence, they become a key agent in their own situation, and their need for protection may change. The risks for young people evolve, and vulnerabilities include children and young people who experience homelessness; who go missing; and who are vulnerable to exploitation (including sexual exploitation). Other risks associated with adolescence are sexual health, drug and alcohol misuse.

The Department for Education publish annual statistics on children looked after and adopted which provide a national oversight. The most common primary reasons for children to be taken into care during 2015 - 16 were

• 54%, abuse or neglect
• 19%, family dysfunction

Nationally on 31 March 2016,

• There were 70,440 Looked After Children in England (0.6% of the population):
• There were approximately 26, 500 Care Leavers aged 18 -21, 87% of whom local authorities were in touch with

For Looked After Children:

• 56% of looked after children were male and 44% female
• 62% were 10 years and over.

National information on Looked After Children and Adoption is available using the Local authority interactive tool (LAIT) at GOV.UK: Local Authority Interactive Toolkit.