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Spending by local authority social services departments on children in need increased by 23 per cent in 16 months, according to a survey by the Department of Health.

Results show that 384,200 children were identified as "in need" in the survey week during February 2003, just under 70,000 of them looked-after children.

This represented a 2 per cent increase since September 2001, but the cost increased from £49.9m to £61.1m.

The number of looked-after children fell by 0.5 per cent, but there was a 3 per cent rise in other children receiving a service, the survey reveals.

Among children who received a service, the average looked-after child cost social services £600 a week, while the average spent on services for children in need who were not looked after was £145.

Children in need who are not looked after by social services receive on average 2.4 hours’ social work time, either in teams or centres.

- See website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000418/sfr28-2003v2.pdf