Publication of ‘Quarterly Child Protection Statistics for Northern Ireland (April – June 2015)'

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has today published the ‘Quarterly Child Protection Statistics for Northern Ireland (April – June 2015)’.

Key Facts and Figures:

Child Protection Register

• At 31 March 2015, 2,010 children were listed on the Child Protection Register in Northern Ireland. This represented a 2% increase on the previous quarter;
• Taking account of local demographics, register counts per 10,000 children’s population (under 18), ranged from 35.6 in the Western HSC Trust to 51.6 in the Belfast HSC Trust; overall there were 46.4 children per 10,000 on the register;
• Almost 80% of the children were on the register due to physical abuse, neglect or a combination of physical abuse and neglect;
• Over 70% of children on the Child Protection Register at 30 June 2015 had been on the register for less than one year with 2% of children on the register for three years or longer;

Child Protection Referrals

• HSC Trusts received 1,104 child protection referrals for the quarter ending 30 June 2015. This was 9% lower than the previous quarter, and 6% above the number of referrals for the same quarter in 2014;
• The largest proportion of referrals, 52%, originated from within Social Services, followed by Schools/Educational Welfare Officers and the PSNI each with 11%.

Notes to editors: 

1. This information was collated by Community Information Branch within the DHSSPS.  For further information contact Community Information Branch
2. This bulletin is the twenty first quarterly reporting of Children Order Child Protection and Referral Statistics.
3. Statistics detailed within the bulletin include numbers of children on the Child Protection Register at 30 June 2015, by legal status, age, category of abuse and duration on the Register, and numbers of Child Protection Referrals by source of referral during the first quarter of 2015/16. Trend analyses are presented regionally and by HSC Trusts.
4. Statistics for the quarter ending 30 September 2015 are due for publication on 12 November 2015.
5. This publication is available online
6. Media queries to DHSSPS Press Office on 02890 520074, or out of office hours contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned. Follow us on Twitter @healthdpt

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