Child Exploitation JSNA

The following information is a summary of key findings from this information when viewed in 2025.

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• The percentage of children in need who are persistent absentees has been lower in Hartlepool than the regional and national average since 2021/22. The rate of exclusions in state school pupils has been consistently higher in Hartlepool than the North East and England, the rate has been more than double that of England’s between 2021/22 and 2023/24.
• The rate of children in need throughout the year has been consistently higher in Hartlepool than the North East and England. The rate in Hartlepool is more than double than that of England. The rate of child protection plans starting during the year has been consistently higher in Hartlepool than the North East and England.
• The percentage of children in need with fixed period exclusion reduced to below the regional and national average between 2019/20 and 2020/21 before increasing to above both the regional and national average.
• The percentage of pupils eligible for Free School Meals has been consistently higher in Hartlepool than the region and England.

CHLDRN - Local and national data on childhood vulnerability | Children's Commissioner for England

The CHLDRN local and national data from 2019 categorises childhood vulnerability into the following 7 sections, all data is a rate of 0-17 year olds unless otherwise stated.

Children in households where a parent is suffering from domestic abuse, severe mental health problems or substance addiction (known as the toxic trio)

• Modelled prevalence of children in households with any of so called ‘toxic trio’ was 199.5 per 1000, ranking Hartlepool in the highest 10% of local authorities (90.9). Modelled prevalence of children in households with all 3 of the so called ‘toxic trio’ was 10 per 1000 which ranks Hartlepool in the highest 40% of local authorities (62.75).
• The rate of children with domestic abuse identified as a factor at CIN (Children In Need) assessment during the year (2019) (excluding looked after children) was 256.1 per 1000. This ranks Hartlepool within the highest 2% of local authorities (98.7).
• Modelled prevalence of children in households where a parent is suffering severe mental health problem was 154.6 per 1000, ranking Hartlepool in the highest 10% of local authorities (91.91).
• Modelled prevalence of children in households where a parent is suffering domestic abuse was 69.8 per 1000, ranking Hartlepool in the highest 15% of local authorities (85.89).
• Modelled prevalence of children in households where a parent is suffering alcohol / drug dependency was 39.9 per 1000, ranking Hartlepool in the highest 30% of local authorities (71.6).

Children in gangs

• Children aged 13-17 with gangs identified as a factor at CIN assessment during the year (excluding looked after children) was 8.4 per 1000 which ranked Hartlepool in the highest 15% of local authorities (87.7).
• Children aged 0-17 with gangs identified as a factor at CIN assessment during the year (excluding looked-after-children) was 10.9 per 1000 which ranks Hartlepool in the highest 25% of local authorities (Percentile rank = 79.8).

Children suffering from educational disadvantage and those outside mainstream education

• The rate of children with at least one fixed period exclusion during the year was 40.1 per 1000, Hartlepool is the highest ranked local authority for this metric (100).
• The rate of fixed term exclusions during the year was 150.3 per 1000, ranking Hartlepool in the highest 1% of local authorities (99.68).
• The rate of children persistently absent during the year was 92.1 per 1000, ranking Hartlepool in the highest 3% of local authorities (97.78).
• The rate of permanent exclusions during the year was 1.4 per 1000 which ranks Hartlepool in the highest 10% of local authorities (93.67).

Children in poverty

• The rate of children eligible for free school meals was 223 per 1000, ranking Hartlepool as the highest local authority (100). The rate of free school meal eligible children with at least 1 house move in each of the last 2 years was 12 per 1000, ranking Hartlepool in the highest 1% of local authorities (99.68).
• Single parent households with children claiming universal credit was 150.6 per 1000, ranking Hartlepool in the highest 1% of local authorities (99.68). The rate of households with children claiming universal credit was 215.8 per 1000, ranking Hartlepool in the highest 1% (99.36).
• The rate of households with children assessed as threatened with homelessness was 2.58 per 1000, ranking Hartlepool in the worst 20% of local authorities.

Children known to children’s services

Hartlepool is in the highest 5% of local authorities for the following indicators:

• The rate of children with an open CIN plan (excluding looked after children), 536 per 1000.
• The rate of children in need episodes at 31 March, 69.6 per 1000.
• The rate of children with an episode of need at any point during the year, 119.4 per 1000.
• The rate of number of episodes of need at any point during the year, 129.7 per 1000.
• The rate of children in care, 15.8 per 1000.
• The rate of children with an open Child Protection Plan, 90.8 per 1000.
• The rate of Section 47 enquiries during the year, 36.1 per 1000.
• The rate of number of children fostered with relatives, 2.8 per 1000.
• The rate of children with a child protection plan at 31st March, 9.2 per 1000.
• The rate of children with a Section 47 enquiry during the year, 31.4 per 1000.
• The rate of children currently aged under 18 who have left care under a special guardianship order, 5 per 1000.
• The rate of children who had more than one missing from care incident during the year, 1.3 per 1000.
• The rate of children in care placed in children's homes (exc. secure), 1.2 per 1000.
• The rate of children with a child protection plan at any point during the year, 17.7 per 1000.
• The rate of number of child protection plans at any point in the year, 17.9 per 1000.
• The rate of children in care in any form of residential setting (inc. children's homes, residential care homes and residential schools), 1.2 per 1000.

Children with special educational needs or disabilities

• The rate of children with SEND but no EHC plan was 102 per 1000 and the rate of children with any identified speech and language SEN was 32.8 per 1000, Hartlepool is in the highest 10% of local authorities for both metrics.
• The rate of children with any identified moderate learning difficulties or Autistic spectrum SEN was 36.5 per 1000, ranking Hartlepool in the highest 30% of local authorities.

Children with caring responsibilities

• The total number of pupils known to be a young carer in state-funded and non-maintained schools has increased from 0.5% in 2022/23 to 0.8% in 2024/25