Looked After Children JSNA

Data and Intelligence

The following information is a summary of key findings from this information when viewed in 2026, data can be accessed via the gov.uk Education statistics.

The total number of children looked after on 31 March 2025 in Hartlepool was 332, 54% were male and 46% were female. There has been a decrease in the number of children looked after between 31 March 2021 and 31 March 2025. The proportion of male and female children looked after follows a similar distribution to the North East and England.

The following data is for the year up to 31 March 2025 in Hartlepool.

Age Group

  • Under 1 year: 7%, an increase since 2021 (& higher than the North East and England).
  • 1 to 4 years: 10%, a decrease since 2021 (& lower than the North East and England).
  • 5 to 9 years: 17%, a decrease since 2021 (& lower than the North East and England).
  • 10 to 15 years: 46%, an increase since 2021 (& higher than the North East and England).
  • 16 years and over: 20%, an increase since 2021 (& lower than the North East and England).

Category of Need

The main category of the eight “need codes” at the time the child started to be looked after.

  • N1. Abuse or neglect: 73% (higher than the North East, 69% and England, 67%).
  • N2. Child’s disability: 8% (higher than the North East, 1% and England, 2%).
  • N3. Parental illness or disability: 4% (higher than the North East, 1% and England, 2%).
  • N4. Family in acute stress: Suppressed (lower than the North East, 8% and England, 7%).
  • N5. Family dysfunction: 8% (lower than the North East, 16% and England, 12%)
  • N6. Socially unacceptable behaviour: Suppressed (lower than the North East, 1% and England, 1%)
  • N7. Low income: Suppressed.
  • N8. Absent parenting: 5% (higher than the North East, 4% and lower than England, 8%).

Legal Status

  • Full care order: 62%, a decrease since 2021 (lower than the North East, 65% and higher than England, 59%).
  • Interim care order: 20%, an increase since 2021 (higher than the North East, 15% and England, 16%).
  • Placement order granted: 5%, an increase since 2021 (the same as the North East, lower than England, 6%).
  • Voluntary agreements under S20 CA 1989: 12%, an increase since 2021 (lower than the North East, 14% and England, 19%).
  • Detained for child protection: 0%.
  • Youth justice legal statuses: 0%.

Placement providers

  • Own provision (by the LA): 56%, a decrease since 2021 (higher than the North East, 55% and England, 43%).
  • Other LA provision: Suppressed (North East, 1% and England, 1%).
  • Other public provision (e.g. by a PCT, etc): Suppressed.
  • Voluntary/third sector provision: 9%, an increase since 2021 (higher than the North East, 7% and England, 7%).
  • Private provision: 27%, an increase since 2021 (higher than the North East, 26% and lower than England, 40%).
  • Parents or other person with parental responsibility: 5%, a decrease since 2021 (lower than the North East, 7% and England, 6%).
  • Placement provider not reported: 2%, an increase since 2021 (lower than the North East, 3% and England, 3%).

Placement

The category 'Independent and semi-independent living arrangements/ supported accommodation' reports data for young people in placements in former semi-independent living arrangements and living independently up to and including 2023. From 2024 all placements are supported accommodation.

  • Foster placements: 71%, a decrease since 2021 (higher than the North East, 69% and England, 67%).
  • Placed for adoption: 3%, an increase since 2021 (higher than the North East, 2% and England, 2%).
  • Placed with parents or other person with parental responsibility: 5%, a decrease since 2021 (lower than the North East, 7% and England, 6%).
  • Secure homes and children’s homes: 14%, an increase since 2021 (higher than the North East, 12% and England, 12%).
  • Independent and semi-independent living arrangements/supported accommodation: 3%, an increase since 2021 (lower than the North East, 4% and England, 9%).
  • Residential schools: Suppressed
  • Other residential settings: Suppressed.
  • Other placements: 2% (lower than the North East, 3% and England, 3%).

Distance between home and placement

The distance in miles between the child's home and placement. In some cases this is not known, for example UASC, or not recorded for confidentiality reasons, such as some children placed for adoption.

  • Placed 20 miles or less from home: 78%, a decrease since 2021 (lower than the North East, 81% and higher than England, 69%).
  • Placed more than 20 miles from home: 13%, an increase since 2021 (the same as the North East and lower than England, 22%).
  • Distance not known/not recorded: 9%, an increase since 2021 (higher than the North East, 5% and the same as England).

Locality of placement

  • Placed inside the LA boundary: 55%, a decrease since 2021 (lower than the North East, 58% and England, 56%).
  • Placed outside the LA boundary: 45%, an increase since 2021 (higher than the North East, 42% and England, 44%).

Local authority of placement

  • Own LA children placed internally within the LA boundary: 62%, a decrease since 2021 (higher than the North East, 61% and lower than England, 56%).
  • Other LA children externally placed within the LA boundary: 38%, an increase since 2021 (lower than the North East, 39% and England, 44%).

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children

  • Children excluding unaccompanied asylum-seeking children: 95%, a decrease since 2022 (the same as the North East and higher than England, 92%).
  • Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children: 5%, an increase since 2022 (the same as the North East and lower than England, 8%).