Referrals to children's social care by council, England

Referrals to children's social care in each of England's 153 councils with children's services in the year to 31 March, the children referred, re-referrals within 12 months and referrals that led to no further action or an assessment of not in need, with the regions and England, from the DfE.

England

632,830

2024/25 · Referrals

Verified against source, 31 October 2026, 11:19 UTC

Referrals to children's social care by council, England

Source: Department for Education. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Data table

163 rows

Area	Referrals	Children referred	Re-referrals within 12 months	Children re-referred within 12 months	No further action	Assessed as not in need
Hampshire E10000014	41,142	29,489	16,877	10,687	8,002	17,853
Kent E10000016	24,035	21,486	5,194	4,284	129	6,528
Birmingham E08000025	16,324	14,682	3,382	2,898	393	5,301
Derbyshire E10000007	10,999	9,249	3,182	2,530	379	3,815
Leeds E08000035	10,304	9,016	2,494	2,060	1,027	4,384
Surrey E10000030	10,284	9,127	2,104	1,756	586	2,805
Lincolnshire E10000019	8,726	7,669	2,001	1,669	1,128	2,537
Liverpool E08000012	8,410	7,176	2,569	2,085	1,136	3,380
Gloucestershire E10000013	8,129	7,202	1,818	1,541	623	2,475
Croydon E09000008	7,986	6,804	2,143	1,648	841	1,360
West Sussex E10000032	7,960	6,945	1,945	1,660	0	2,625
Lancashire E10000017	7,948	7,306	1,293	1,145	243	1,984
Cornwall E06000052	7,923	6,770	2,208	1,804	0	1,315
Bradford E08000032	7,450	6,666	1,709	1,441	835	2,022
Leicestershire E10000018	6,752	5,870	1,721	1,428	459	1,970
Hertfordshire E10000015	6,536	6,049	1,031	905	598	2,379
Cambridgeshire E10000003	6,453	5,439	1,886	1,511	634	1,954
Nottinghamshire E10000024	6,390	5,758	1,475	1,259	0	3,214
Manchester E08000003	6,342	5,779	1,164	1,018	398	647
Norfolk E10000020	5,986	5,453	1,069	948	75	930
Somerset E06000066	5,877	5,263	1,300	1,124	1,214	2,013
Essex E10000012	5,705	5,324	881	793	287	2,275
Devon E10000008	5,700	5,164	1,124	992	45	2,413
Doncaster E08000017	5,665	4,791	1,664	1,307	731	2,930
North Yorkshire E06000065	5,642	5,105	1,115	973	suppressed (c): ‘to protect confidentiality’, the DfE's methodology says, which may suppress other figures too	1,141
Buckinghamshire E06000060	5,518	4,939	1,260	1,103	116	1,457
County Durham E06000047	5,378	4,860	1,003	861	0	1,106
Barking and Dagenham E09000002	5,307	4,642	1,158	938	164	2,254
Suffolk E10000029	5,264	4,757	1,056	891	124	1,850
Warwickshire E10000031	5,152	4,771	878	805	0	2,251
Staffordshire E10000028	5,137	4,768	730	634	549	1,559
Oxfordshire E10000025	5,047	4,617	892	813	161	2,085
Medway E06000035	5,015	4,406	1,243	1,067	604	2,038
Wakefield E08000036	4,992	4,513	922	782	6	1,543
Tameside E08000008	4,943	4,256	1,368	1,137	85	1,655
Sheffield E08000019 its area before 1 April 2025	4,910	4,573	810	689	218	401
Isle of Wight E06000046	4,864	3,443	2,273	1,454	1,013	1,527
Tower Hamlets E09000030	4,834	4,090	1,182	962	414	976
Worcestershire E10000034	4,805	4,381	856	760	171	1,582
Coventry E08000026	4,735	4,299	878	744	suppressed (c): ‘to protect confidentiality’, the DfE's methodology says, which may suppress other figures too	1,457
Kingston upon Hull, City of E06000010	4,696	4,246	1,019	875	238	892
Newham E09000025	4,690	4,347	700	625	58	1,183
North Northamptonshire E06000061	4,682	4,032	1,121	893	342	2,088
Bromley E09000006	4,630	4,078	1,101	895	421	1,364
West Northamptonshire E06000062	4,542	3,997	1,086	885	372	2,090
Lewisham E09000023	4,522	3,974	944	777	340	1,427
Wolverhampton E08000031	4,451	3,909	925	794	suppressed (c): ‘to protect confidentiality’, the DfE's methodology says, which may suppress other figures too	991
Bristol, City of E06000023	4,264	3,748	989	815	582	1,265
Enfield E09000010	4,214	3,704	954	766	686	891
Oldham E08000004	4,196	3,809	887	773	70	634
Ealing E09000009	4,173	3,773	815	696	520	1,460
Hillingdon E09000017	4,153	3,648	870	737	8	1,523
East Sussex E10000011	4,107	3,751	682	589	86	1,305
Redbridge E09000026	4,057	3,729	681	606	424	1,238
Wirral E08000015	4,056	3,648	900	762	305	1,408
Stockton-on-Tees E06000004	3,959	3,427	1,140	951	suppressed (c): ‘to protect confidentiality’, the DfE's methodology says, which may suppress other figures too	2,034
Nottingham E06000018	3,953	3,332	1,074	817	636	1,679
Salford E08000006	3,917	3,534	915	785	0	1,621
Stoke-on-Trent E06000021	3,874	3,485	812	685	46	1,548
Peterborough E06000031	3,850	3,466	761	670	405	1,302
Bolton E08000001	3,803	3,425	778	662	212	639
Sefton E08000014	3,764	3,267	987	816	229	1,217
Waltham Forest E09000031	3,730	3,400	714	629	28	646
Sandwell E08000028	3,723	3,383	844	729	0	878
Stockport E08000007	3,676	3,282	792	673	157	859
Hackney E09000012	3,653	3,343	728	628	205	1,432
Middlesbrough E06000002	3,636	3,041	921	718	134	1,050
Greenwich E09000011	3,629	3,417	474	439	267	1,538
Havering E09000016	3,592	3,332	586	533	180	1,256
Derby E06000015	3,557	3,150	823	697	328	980
Brent E09000005	3,553	3,297	503	448	498	471
Cheshire West and Chester E06000050	3,529	3,163	810	694	380	1,216
Wigan E08000010	3,437	3,126	678	603	42	644
Southwark E09000028	3,414	3,117	582	519	201	1,387
Dudley E08000027	3,412	2,980	767	627	34	874
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole E06000058	3,386	3,028	764	667	286	391
Cumberland E06000063	3,367	2,967	764	659	159	1,449
Bexley E09000004	3,365	2,981	736	631	271	1,364
Walsall E08000030	3,355	3,043	662	556	249	1,058
Milton Keynes E06000042	3,346	2,974	680	561	339	752
Haringey E09000014	3,312	3,018	618	534	256	1,088
Kirklees E08000034	3,277	2,992	644	555	86	244
Barnsley E08000016 its area before 1 April 2025	3,241	2,803	825	709	269	1,289
Brighton and Hove E06000043	3,236	2,846	763	636	319	620
Leicester E06000016	3,203	2,893	537	461	923	591
Sunderland E08000024	3,193	2,892	590	508	0	1,023
Slough E06000039	3,167	2,850	655	579	19	1,256
Luton E06000032	3,137	2,801	593	504	104	934
Newcastle upon Tyne E08000021	3,134	2,887	539	472	28	1,223
Solihull E08000029	3,022	2,724	795	685	59	1,208
Northumberland E06000057	3,013	2,722	604	517	27	1,114
Rotherham E08000018	2,909	2,589	570	490	287	1,218
Bury E08000002	2,905	2,473	755	601	108	470
Portsmouth E06000044	2,816	2,540	673	566	0	47
Blackburn with Darwen E06000008	2,806	2,513	604	519	115	883
Plymouth E06000026	2,806	2,527	729	637	0	1,132
Southampton E06000045	2,777	2,499	560	469	423	346
Wiltshire E06000054	2,770	2,530	517	436	57	877
Rochdale E08000005	2,768	2,552	477	429	199	305
Barnet E09000003	2,751	2,561	407	352	245	505
Lambeth E09000022	2,736	2,498	582	501	361	727
Blackpool E06000009	2,707	2,349	634	531	0	958
Calderdale E08000033	2,665	2,363	543	467	0	346
South Gloucestershire E06000025	2,614	2,387	447	412	0	1,046
Cheshire East E06000049	2,599	2,391	410	358	113	651
East Riding of Yorkshire E06000011	2,517	2,298	413	356	0	124
Merton E09000024	2,488	2,253	531	457	220	997
Central Bedfordshire E06000056	2,474	2,272	394	347	11	1,205
Islington E09000019	2,407	2,214	404	361	129	680
Reading E06000038	2,349	2,113	537	450	113	802
Dorset E06000059	2,349	2,173	346	312	377	455
Swindon E06000030	2,303	2,065	529	452	11	710
Harrow E09000015	2,281	2,078	355	302	51	920
St. Helens E08000013	2,207	1,989	438	380	146	741
Wandsworth E09000032	2,172	1,931	388	333	383	575
Hounslow E09000018	2,158	2,034	261	229	114	252
Warrington E06000007	2,095	1,923	354	312	18	647
Camden E09000007	2,086	1,909	381	333	77	601
Hartlepool E06000001	2,020	1,762	536	440	12	366
North East Lincolnshire E06000012	2,002	1,821	429	376	0	582
Bedford E06000055	1,992	1,728	464	379	298	365
Redcar and Cleveland E06000003	1,967	1,795	287	263	suppressed (c): ‘to protect confidentiality’, the DfE's methodology says, which may suppress other figures too	103
North Tyneside E08000022	1,893	1,694	468	389	suppressed (c): ‘to protect confidentiality’, the DfE's methodology says, which may suppress other figures too	853
Thurrock E06000034	1,885	1,729	302	284	36	827
Trafford E08000009	1,879	1,705	339	309	67	430
Sutton E09000029	1,843	1,682	338	294	166	434
York E06000014	1,837	1,607	427	354	35	791
Herefordshire, County of E06000019	1,806	1,601	267	240	0	25
Wokingham E06000041	1,778	1,629	298	268	14	606
Torbay E06000027	1,768	1,551	429	346	83	338
Westminster E09000033	1,752	1,607	325	284	308	579
Halton E06000006	1,717	1,577	327	283	26	543
Windsor and Maidenhead E06000040	1,715	1,561	336	290	65	499
West Berkshire E06000037	1,667	1,461	361	306	0	117
Hammersmith and Fulham E09000013	1,666	1,534	255	230	198	386
Kingston upon Thames E09000021	1,640	1,536	246	222	31	630
Gateshead E08000037	1,613	1,508	224	217	15	482
South Tyneside E08000023	1,562	1,460	268	241	suppressed (c): ‘to protect confidentiality’, the DfE's methodology says, which may suppress other figures too	578
Knowsley E08000011	1,547	1,420	240	222	59	244
Bracknell Forest E06000036	1,532	1,398	294	247	171	418
Kensington and Chelsea E09000020	1,511	1,334	318	258	288	466
Westmorland and Furness E06000064	1,505	1,379	248	219	156	395
Shropshire E06000051	1,504	1,408	194	176	38	196
North Lincolnshire E06000013	1,483	1,382	208	183	0	563
Richmond upon Thames E09000027	1,429	1,325	235	202	22	471
Telford and Wrekin E06000020	1,421	1,298	225	198	63	304
Southend-on-Sea E06000033	1,325	1,230	227	201	34	342
North Somerset E06000024	1,126	1,055	173	160	10	224
Darlington E06000005	1,117	1,054	145	132	162	232
Bath and North East Somerset E06000022	920	867	123	112	9	319
Rutland E06000017	385	325	103	73	145	57
City of London E09000001	57	49	9	suppressed (c): ‘to protect confidentiality’, the DfE's methodology says, which may suppress other figures too	30	0
Isles of Scilly E06000053	32	32	0	0	suppressed (c): ‘to protect confidentiality’, the DfE's methodology says, which may suppress other figures too	14
Barnsley E08000038	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000016	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000016	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000016	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000016	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000016	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000016
Sheffield E08000039	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000019	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000019	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000019	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000019	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000019	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000019
North East	32,490	29,100	6,730	5,710	390	10,160
North West	86,120	77,010	18,730	15,980	4,420	23,620
Yorkshire and The Humber	63,590	56,770	13,790	11,620	3,730	18,470
East Midlands	53,190	46,280	13,120	10,710	4,710	19,020
West Midlands	62,720	56,730	12,220	10,530	1,610	19,230
East of England	44,610	40,250	8,660	7,430	2,610	14,360
London	105,790	95,240	20,520	17,370	8,410	31,080
South East	132,360	110,070	37,630	27,790	12,160	43,690
South West	51,970	46,360	11,500	9,810	3,300	14,990
England	632,830	557,810	142,900	116,950	41,340	194,620

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Map

Referrals · 130 areas, each shaded by the fifth of the areas its figure falls in

32 to 1,837
1,837 to 2,736
2,736 to 3,414
3,414 to 4,451
4,451 to 16k

Boundaries: Council boundaries, May 2026, from the geography spine. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

Source and licence

Publisher

Department for Education

Check it yourself

https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-in-need

Licence

Open Government Licence v3.0 – Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Retrieved

31 October 2026, 11:11 UTC

Raw files fetched

https://api.education.gov.uk/statistics/v1/data-sets/342f9a01-26f0-2a71-91a1-f8bc0bee8b11/meta?dataSetVersion=1.0SHA-256 831fb57aa144a672cf031e59db7a1fe8b1cbc9b3fd0be3a7ebcc8752b9a46202 · 14,584 bytes
https://api.education.gov.uk/statistics/v1/data-sets/342f9a01-26f0-2a71-91a1-f8bc0bee8b11/query?dataSetVersion=1.0&indicators=f1HYF,XMCfK,5EVdi,TA5PJ,TGmPJ,j2gAM,tytEm,cS231,hzlyW,eO9uS&geographicLevels.in=LA,REG,NAT&timePeriods.eq=2025%7CRY&pageSize=10000SHA-256 ae72a227f700242ef535fb0730152164a6d682717f326f2f714d99e61deb561b · 48,091 bytes

Verification

Verified against source, 31 October 2026, 11:19 UTC Run at 31 October 2026, 11:19 UTC; 978 of 978 figures matched the live source.

Result	Check	Detail
Pass	Provenance recorded	Department for Education; Open Government Licence v3.0; retrieved 2026-10-31T11:11:47Z; 2 raw file(s)
Pass	Raw files match recorded SHA-256	2 of 2 files intact
Pass	Re-parsing raw files reproduces figures	978 of 978 figures and the headline reproduced
Pass	Figures are finite numbers	978 figures, 0 invalid
Pass	Live source matches every figure	978 of 978 figures match exactly after downloading 2 source file(s) again (1 byte-identical); the headline matches
Pass	EES data set is current	latest period 2024/25 ended 579 days before retrieval (limit 620)
Pass	The data set's CSV agrees	1650 of 1650 cells of the stored query, figures and marks, equal version 1.0's CSV (https://api.education.gov.uk/statistics/v1/data-sets/342f9a01-26f0-2a71-91a1-f8bc0bee8b11/csv?dataSetVersion=1.0, 165 rows read)
Pass	The councils add up to their region and the regions to England	60 comparisons expected, each region's councils and England's regions in every count and combination: 55 within the rounding the DfE states (10 exactly); not made, 5 for a figure marked 'c' (suppressed (c): ‘to protect confidentiality’, the DfE's methodology says, which may suppress other figures too)
Pass	Each share and average is its count over its whole	651 of 651 shares and averages by area and combination are their counts' ratio, within the rounding the DfE states; not made, 9 for a figure marked 'c'
Pass	Source page answers	https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-in-need – HTTP 200

Notes

Referrals to the council's children's social care services in the year to 31 March: requests for services for a child not already open to them, as the children in need census counts them. A child referred twice counts once among children referred.
The DfE gives these figures for England's 153 councils with education and children's services duties (its unitary, metropolitan and London councils and its 21 counties), not for districts.
The DfE gives Barnsley and Sheffield under the codes they had before part of Barnsley moved into Sheffield on the 1st of April 2025 (E08000016 and E08000019), and they are shown so.
The DfE's methodology: “England and regional totals are rounded to the nearest 10, therefore totals may not equal the sum of their component parts.”