Record care applications for November, figures reveal

There was a 15% increase in care applications compared to the same period last year, figures showed

By Luke Stevenson on December 10, 2015 in Child safeguarding, Children, Looked after children

The number of care applications for the month of November has hit record levels this year.

Statistics published today by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) showed there were 1,020 care applications received in November, the highest ever for the month, and a 15% increase on demand compared to the same point last year.

Community Care reported earlier this year that care applications looked set to surpass 12,000 in a financial year for the first time in 2015-16. There have been more than 8,133 applications since April, an average of more than 1,000 a month.

The record for applications received in a month has been broken twice this financial year, and there has been an increase in demand in every single month compared to the same period last year.

The number of private law cases submitted to the service also increased compared to the same time last year. There were 3,463 new private law cases in November 2015, compared to 3,092 last year.