Executive Summary
At 31 July 2017, there were 14,897 looked after children - a decrease of 3% from 2015. This is the fifth consecutive year the number of looked after children has decreased. The numbers of Permanence Orders and adoptions in 2017 were higher than in 2016, meaning that increasing numbers of children looked after are going into legally secure permanence. Increasing numbers of children are being looked after away from home. The most common placement type for children looked after is with foster carers.
At 31 July 2017, there were 2,631 children on the child protection register – a decrease of 3% from 2016. The total has now fallen for three years consecutively. Emotional abuse is the most common concern that leads to children being placed on the child protection register.
There were an average of 76 residents in secure care accommodation throughout 2016-17, an decrease of 11% from 85 residents in the previous year. Placements into secure units from outside Scotland account for 30% of secure unit admissions this year. The number of residents placed from Scottish local authorities has fallen.
