The number of youngsters on the Child Protection Register in the Western Health Trust area has increased from last year, newly released figures show.
The figures are contained the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety publication “Children Order Child Protection and Referral Statistics for Northern Ireland (quarter ending 30 September 2013).”
As at 30 September last, 1,934 children were listed on the Child Protection Register in Northern Ireland.
This represented an increase of 8% (144) on the previous quarter (1,790). However, compared with September 2012 the Register count has decreased by 5% (106), from 2,040 to 1,934, with changes by Trusts ranging from a decrease of 18% (96) in the Northern Trust to an increase of 28% (74) in the Western Trust.
Since 30 June this year, there were increases of 17% (54) in the Southern Trust, 13% (39) in the Western, 11% (40) in the South Eastern Trust and 2% (9) in the Belfast Trust. Numbers of children on the register remained similar (no percentage change) in the Northern Trust.
Of the 1,934 children on the Register, just under one quarter (23% – 438) were in the Northern Trust, with 21% (399) in the South Eastern Trust, 20% (387) in the Belfast Trust, 19% (370) in the Southern Trust and 18% (340) in the Western Trust.
The age profile of children on the Register has remained relatively stable from quarter to quarter, with 37% (722) aged 5 – 11 years, 29% (567) aged 1 – 4 years, 18% (351) aged 12 – 15 years, 11% (216) under 1, and 4% (78) aged 16 or over, for the quarter ending 30 September 2013.
Almost nine in 10 children (88%) on the Register had no recorded legal status, 5% (88) were “accommodated” (Article 21) and 4% (82) were subject to an Interim Care Order (Article 57).
The largest proportions of children were on the Register due to “neglect only” (29%) and “physical abuse only” (29%).
72% of children on the had been on the Register for less than one year with 3% of children on the Register for three years or longer.
Child Protection Referrals for the quarter ending 30 September 2013 (937) were 17% (191) lower than the previous quarter (1,128), and 3% (27) below the referrals count for the same quarter in 2012 (964).
Over half of all referrals (55% – 511) originated from within Social Services, 13% (118) from the PSNI, 6% (53) from relatives, 4% (33) from school/educational welfare officers and 12% (112) from “other” sources.
Quarterly changes across Trusts indicate referrals fell by 29% (102) in the Southern Trust, by 25% (34) in the Belfast Trust, by 22% (40) in the Western Trust, 6% (10) in the Northern Trust and referrals fell 2% (5) in the South Eastern Trust.
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