§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) agency staff, (b) positions unfilled for (i) one month and (ii) three months and (c) staff in children in care settings there were in each quarter of each of the last three years. [61368]
§ Jacqui SmithWe do not collect information on the numbers of agency staff who work in child care settings. Information about the number of child care positions unfilled is not collected on a regular basis. Ad hoc surveys have been undertaken in the past which have determined the vacancy rates in child care posts in social services departments or in the private sector. The last survey undertaken in this area was for 'Community Homes for Children Looked After' run by local authorities in England and Wales, and it was undertaken in 1999. This survey stated that in England the overall full-time and part-time vacancy rates were both 10.3 per cent.
However, local authority social services departments in England complete an annual return giving information about the staff they employ as at 30 September. The data from this return gives the number of whole time equivalent staff employed in child and family services as follows:
Number of staff 1999 38,005 2000 38,505 2001 38,195 Notes:
The actual numbers of staff employed by local councils are greater than the above figures as some of these staff work only part-time. The above figures do not take into account those central and strategic staff and certain other categories of staff who provide more generic services across a range of council responsibilities.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the(a) percentage and (b) number of children in care in each (i) region and (ii) health authority broken down by ethnic background, in each of the last five years. [61353]
§ Jacqui SmithData available at 31 March is shown in the following tables. Data is not available for any years prior to this.
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Percentage of children looked after at 31 March 2001 by ethnic origin and Government region percentage Ethnic origin All children (=100%) White Mixed race Asian or Asian British Black or Black British Other ethnic groups England 58,900 82 6 2 7 3 North East 3,400 96 3 1— 0 1— North West 7,300 91 6 2 1 1 Merseyside 2,400 89 4 1— 6 1— Yorkshire and Humberside 6,500 90 6 2 1 0 East Midlands 4,100 88 8 1 2 0 West Midlands 6,500 81 7 3 6 3 South West 4,900 91 5 0 2 2 Eastern 5,200 90 5 1 2 2 London 11,000 52 10 4 25 8 South East 7,700 85 5 1 4 5 1Figure has been suppressed for reasons of confidentiality. Notes:
Table excludes children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
All figures over a thousand have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out the(a) number of children placed and (b) reasons for children being placed in (i) foster care and (ii) care for each of the last five years for which figures are available. [61357]
§ Jacqui SmithThe available information is shown in the tables.
Number of looked after children who started one or more periods of foster placement during the years ending 31 March 1997–2000, by the reason for being looked after recorded for the first episode of the first foster placement started during the year Reason for being looked after 1997 1998 1999 2000 All children 32,900 33,300 32,400 32,700 No parents 350 460 540 640 Abandoned or lost 940 980 1,100 1,300 Family or child homeless 250 230 240 250 Parent(s) in prison 440 400 430 410 Breakdown of adoptive family 90 70 70 90 Preliminary to adoption 460 500 480 440 Parent's health 3,900 4,000 3,500 3,000 Parents/families need relief: child with disabilities 230 260 250 200 other 7,800 7,300 6,100 5,700 Abuse or neglect 10,000 11,200 12,200 13,400 Concern for child's welfare 2,700 2,600 2,700 2,700 Own behaviour 1,400 1,300 1,200 1,100 Accused or guilty of an offence 710 800 740 690 At request of child 730 640 590 530 Other 2,900 2,500 2,200 2,400 Notes:
1. Figures are for England.
2. Year ending 31 March.
3. Table excludes children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
4. Number of children starting a new period of foster placement during the year exceeds the number of children starting to be looked after in the year in a foster placement. Some children starting a new period of foster placement in the year will actually have started to be looked after in a previous year.
5. All numbers over 1,000 have been rounded to the nearest 100; other figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 150W
Number of looked after children who started one or more periods of placements during the years ending 31 March 1997–2000, by the reason for being looked after recorded for the first episode of the first placement started during the year Reason for being looked after 1997 1998 1999 2000 All children 44,300 44,900 44,800 45,800 No parents 520 600 810 1,100 Abandoned or lost 1,200 1,200 1,400 1,700 Family or child homeless 400 350 390 340 Parent(s) in prison 480 430 500 450 Breakdown of adoptive family 120 100 110 130 Preliminary to adoption 570 620 640 610 Parent's health 4,200 4,300 3,800 3,400 Parents/families need relief: child with disabilities 520 530 610 490 other 9,600 9,000 7,900 7,400 Abuse or neglect 13,600 15,300 16,800 18,200 Concern for child's welfare 3,500 3,400 3,600 3,500 Own behaviour 2,400 2,300 2,100 2,000 Accused or guilty of an offence 1,900 2,000 1,800 1,800 At request of child 1,100 930 760 760 Other 4,300 4,000 3,700 3,900 Notes:
1. Figures are for England.
2. Year ending 31 March.
3. Table excludes children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
4. Number of children starting a new period of placement during the year exceeds the number of children starting to be looked after in the year, as some children starting a new period of placement in the year will actually have started to he looked after in a previous year.
5. All numbers over 1,000 have been rounded to the nearest 100; other figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
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Number of looked after children who started one or more periods of placements uring the years ending 31 March 2001, by the recorded Category of Need for the first placement started during the year Type of placement Category of Need Foster placements All placements All children 29,800 41,700 Abuse or neglect 15,800 22,000 Disability 610 1,100 Parent's illness or disability 2,700 3,200 Family in acute stress 3,200 4,100 Family dysfunction 3,800 5,200 Socially unacceptable behaviour 1,500 2,900 Low income 280 320 Absent parenting 1,900 2,900 Notes:
1. Figures are for England.
2. Table excludes children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
3. Number of children starting a new period of placement during the year exceeds the number of children starting to be looked after in the year, as some children starting a new period of placement will have started to be looked after in a previous year.
4. All numbers over 1.000 have been rounded to the nearest 100; other figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what(a) types and (b) number of prescriptions of medication that have been given to children in care over the last five years. [61361]
§ Jacqui SmithThe details of prescriptions given to individual children are contained in confidential health records which do not identify children as being in care. While individual carers will be aware of the type and number of prescriptions given to a child, this information is not available for aggregation.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the(a) percentage and (b) number of children in care in each (i) region and (ii) health authority broken down into (a) mental and (b) physical disability, in each of the last five years. [61352]
§ Jacqui SmithInformation on mental disability of children in care is not held centrally. The other information is not available in the form requested.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what(a) percentage and (b) number of children in care in each (i) region and (ii) health authority (A) had an abortion and (B) gave birth while in care in each of the last five years. [61359]
§ Jacqui SmithThe information requested is not currently collected at national level. One survey of care leavers showed that a quarter had a child by the age of 16. A robust method for collecting data on births among looked-after-children is being developed as part of the national indicator set for monitoring the teenage pregnancy strategy.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average length of stay in(a) foster care and (b) children in care settings has been in each of the last five years. [61356]
§ Jacqui SmithThe information available is shown in the table.
Average duration of placements, of looked after children, ceasing during the years ending 31 March 1997 to 2001, by type of placement England Average duration (days) Type of placement Foster placements All placements 1997 216 210 1998 213 215 1999 231 223 2000 231 228 2001 256 248 Note:
The table excludes children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
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