The children’s commissioner’s stability index report, now in its second year, compiles data on children moving around the care system in England, with a view to improving outcomes for young people.
The report says stability is crucial for the 70,000 children currently in the care of local authorities in England, saying instability can compound “the difficulties they have already had to endure”.
It says: “We estimate that the majority of looked-after children - 74% - experienced some form of change during 2016-17: a placement move, a school move or change of worker. This is equivalent to 53,500 children.”
It also warns that 10% of children in care attending school - 4,300 young people - experienced a school move mid-way through the academic year, “over twice the rate of mid-year school moves amongst the full school population (4%)”.
The report says older children - especially those entering care from the age of 12 to 15 - are most at risk of instability and may need extra support to prevent placements breaking down.
Key Findings:
- Most children in care experience some kind of instability in one form or another throughout the course of a year. Only 1 in 4 children in care experienced no placement move, no school move and no social worker change within a year. Only 1 in 10 children experienced none of these changes over two years.
- Some children experience several different types of instability all within the same year. Nearly 2,400 children (6% of children in care attending school) experienced a placement move, a school move and a change in social worker all in 2016/17. Furthermore, over 350 children (1% of those in care attending school) experienced multiple placement moves, a mid-year school move and multiple social worker changes all within the same year.
- Some children experience repeated instability over two years. Over 3,000 children (6% of those in care in both 2015/16 and 2016/17) experienced four or more placement moves over two years, including 1,300 children (3% of those in care in both 2015/16 and 2016/17) who experienced multiple placement moves in both years. Among children in care who were enrolled at school, around 1,600 (4%) experienced a school move two years in a row. Elsewhere, nearly 4,400 children (6% of all children in care) experienced multiple social worker changes two years in a row.
- Over the longer term, most children in care experience a placement move. Less than half of children (among those in care in both 2014/15 and 2016/17) experienced no placement changes over three years; 3 in 10 children experienced two or more changes, and nearly 2,500 children (6%) experienced five or more changes. Looking over four years among children in care in both 2012/13 and 2016/17, we find that only 2 in 5 experienced no placement changes; more than 1 in 3 experienced two or more changes, and 2,700 children (9%) experienced five or more changes.
- Children who experience instability are at risk of having it compounded by more instability in future. Those experiencing multiple placement moves this year are three times more likely to experience it again next year. Children who experience a mid-year school move this year are 50% more likely to experience it again next year.
- At a national level, rates of instability are broadly unchanged. We find similar rates of instability for 2016/17 as those we found last year for 2015/16. Around 1 in 10 children in care – 7,500 children – experienced multiple placement moves in 2016/17, while just under 7 in 10 children experienced no placement moves. Among children in care who are also enrolled at school, just over 1 in 10 (4,300 children) experienced a mid-year school move.
- Social worker changes remain significantly more common than placement or school changes. Nearly 19,000 children experienced two or more social worker changes in 2016/17. This works out to around 1 in 4 children in care – broadly the same rate as in 2015/16.
- There remains wide variation in rates of instability across the country. The proportion of children experiencing multiple placement moves ranged from 3% to 19% across local authorities, while the proportion of children experiencing a mid-year school move ranged from 2% to 24%.
- More analysis is needed to understand this variation. The variation we see can only be partly explained by the factors that we have national data on. Many local authorities who appear to be similar in term of these factors have different rates of instability, and vice versa.
- Looking across local authorities, there is no clear link between participating in Department for Education programmes and higher rates of stability. The average rates of instability among the Opportunity Areas or areas involved in the Innovation Programme are around the national average. The same is true for local areas involved in the Partners in Practice Programme – although those whose programme relates to looked after children seem to have rates of instability that are very slightly slower than the national average.
- Some children are at significantly higher risk of experiencing instability and may need additional support. Older children, children who enter care at the beginning of adolescence, children with additional behavioural or emotional needs, and children whose legal status indicates more vulnerability, are all more likely to experience multiple placement moves.
- Children in better-performing schools experience more stability. Children in schools rated as “Outstanding” by Ofsted are half as likely to experience a mid-year school move compared to children in schools rated “Inadequate”. Furthermore, even if children in schools with a better Ofsted rating do move, it is more likely to be another school with a better Ofsted rating.
- Local authority workforce issues affect the stability that children experience. Children in care are significantly more likely to experience social worker changes in local authorities with higher social worker turnover rates and vacancy rates.
- We will share our findings with local authorities to help them identify where they can improve stability. With data on placement and school instability for every local authority, we will write to every Director of Children’s Services and Lead Member for Children’s Services in England providing the figures for their local area. We will also be asking them to adopt the Stability Index as a tool for identifying any areas of concern and measuring progress and improvement.
- We want to see the Stability Index informing Ofsted’s inspections of local authority children’s services. We will be asking Ofsted to require evidence from local authorities on the on stability of their looked after children, referring to Stability Index data and reports where available, as part of Ofsted’s inspections and quality assessments.
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