News

The number of children on local authority child protection registers has fallen by 11 per cent, the government has revealed.

The latest figures from the department of health show that at the end of March this year there were 26,800 children on the registers. Around 27,000 children's names were added during the year, which was eight per cent lower than last year's figure of 29,300.

The number of re-registrations was about 1 per cent lower than the previous year.

Children at risk of neglect, 46 per cent, or emotional abuse have risen as a proportion of the total, whereas children considered at risk of physical or sexual abuse represent a smaller proportion than previously.

- One in every five of the children on the register were looked after by local authorities.

- 14 per cent of children registered had been registered before; and 11 per cent of the children leaving the register had been on it for over two years and this proportion has fallen steadily in recent years.

* The department of health also announced the results of a service users 'experience' survey, which is a round up of questionnaires conducted by local authorities.

Eighty four per cent of respondents said they were helped quickly after a decision was made to provide the service to them.

Of those people 86 per cent of white people said 'yes' compared to 74 per cent of black and ethnic minority groups.