Children and young people supported by social care
Children’s social care delivers a wide range of services to children, young people and their families in Lincolnshire to ensure that they are safe, well and supported. This support ranges from universal services through to child protection and beyond. Children and young people supported by social care are assessed (under the Children Act 1989) as needing help and protection. This includes children and young people on hildren in Need plans, children with a child protection plan and children in the care of the local authority; care experienced and disabled children.
Whilst most children will be aged under 18, the data will include young people aged 18 or over who are still receiving care and accommodation or post-care support from children’s services. This data is reported from the annual ‘children in need census’ as at 31 March 2024. It includes all vulnerable children, such as:
- unborn children
- babies
- older children
- young carers
- disabled children
- those who are in secure setting
Children and young people supported by social care by age
| Age | Number of children or young people | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Unborn or under 1 | 272 | 7.4% |
| 1 to 4 years | 603 | 16.4% |
| 5 to 9 years | 806 | 21.9% |
| 10 to 15 years | 1,137 | 30.9% |
| 16 to 18 years | 538 | 14.6% |
| 19 to 24 years | 322 | 8.8% |
| Total | 3,678 | 100% |
Children and young people supported by social care by gender
| Gender | Number of children or young people | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 1,601 | 43.5% |
| Male | 1,965 | 53.4% |
| Other, not recorded or unborn | 112 | 3.1% |
| Total | 3,678 | 100% |
Since January 2023 and in collaboration with transgender and non-binary people who informed and shaped the decisions and development of how we record gender, Lincolnshire children’s services are able to record a person’s gender differently to their sex, and record pronouns to ensure professionals can respond to and refer to people respectfully and appropriately.
As at 31 March 2024 of the 3,678 being supported by children’s social care, 21 children identify with a gender different to their sex.
Children and young people supported by social care by ethnicity
| Ethnicity | Number of children or young people | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White | 3,141 | 85.4% |
| Mixed | 129 | 3.5% |
| Asian or Asian British | 33 | 0.9% |
| Black or Black British | 56 | 1.5% |
| Other | 177 | 4.8% |
| Not recorded or refused | 142 | 3.9% |
| Total | 3,678 | 100% |
The Department for Education Children in need census codes for ethnicity include the following:
White:
- white British
- white Irish
- Traveller of Irish Heritage
- any other white background
- Gypsy or Roma
Mixed:
- white and black Caribbean
- white and black African
- white and Asian
- any other mixed background
Asian or Asian British:
- Indian
- Pakistani
- Bangladeshi
- any other Asian background
Black or Black British:
- Caribbean
- African
- any other black background
Other:
- Chinese
- any other ethnic group
Not recorded or refused:
- refused
- not yet obtained
Children and young people supported by social care by disability
| Disability | Number of children or young people | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 323 | 8.8% |
| No | 3,355 | 91.2% |
| Total | 3,678 | 100% |
Children and young people supported by social care by nationality
| Nationality | Number of children or young people | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| British | 2,543 | 69.1% |
| EU countries | 143 | 3.9% |
| The rest of the world | 240 | 6.5% |
| Not recorded | 752 | 20.5% |
| Total | 3,678 | 100% |
Children and young people supported by social care by religion
| Religion | Number of children or young people | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Christian | 588 | 15.99% |
| Muslim (Islam) | 173 | 4.70% |
| Other religion | 12 | 0.3% |
| No religion | 1,297 | 35.26% |
| Not willing to declare | 6 | 0.16% |
| Not recorded | 1,602 | 43.56% |
| Total | 3,678 | 100% |
The data on age and gender are reported daily to the wider management team within children’s services. The disability data is considered regularly by the relevant teams. Ethnicity, nationality and religion data is collated but not routinely shared, it is therefore an area for improvement. Routine collection and analysis will allow further consideration of the accessibility of support for children from different ethnic backgrounds and any trends which may help to improve services specific to local demographics.