Peterborough: Number of children on protection plans doubles

The number of children on a child protection plan in Peterborough has more than doubled since late 2022, council figures show.

A Peterborough City Council report said the figure rose from around 100 to about 240 between November 2022 and November 2023.

The number of children in care has also risen - from 380 in January 2023 to 414 in September.

Councillors are scheduled to discuss the report on Monday.

A joint meeting of scrutiny committees is due to consider the council's "medium term financial strategy" in Peterborough Town Hall.

The report said there had been a 17.5% population increase since a 2011 census.

That growth generated extra income - from council tax and business rates - and additional demand on services, the report said.

"The number of children under a child protection plan has increased from around 101 in November last year to around 242 in November 2023," said the report.

"The number of children in care is also rising, from 380 in January 2023 to 414 as of September 2023.

"This represents roughly a 9% increase in children's care placements in eight months, with some of these increasing costs further due to the complexity of their needs."

The report said it was "assumed" that increases would continue into 2024-25, but demand would "stabilise".

It said demand for adult social care services had also increased for a number of years and was showing "no sign of slowing down".

Regulator Ofsted said in May that Peterborough children's services' "arrangements" were "not effectively promoting the protection of children".

"The arrangements to identify and respond to concerns raised regarding the safeguarding and well-being of children in Peterborough are not effectively promoting the protection of children," said Ofsted.

"Risks and needs are not fully understood or responded to in a timely way.

"As a result, children's needs are not being identified and addressed swiftly enough."

Ofsted said the senior leadership team had significantly changed.

A new interim director of children's services had started work in November 2022 and "quickly identified" some "significant, systemic practice concerns", said Ofsted.

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