Thousands of children in need in Lincolnshire

There are thousands of children needing extra protection or support in Lincolnshire, new figures show.

It comes as the Local Government Association said greater funding for children's services and councils is needed to meet the high demand for families needing support.

Figures from the Department of Education show there were 3,480 children assessed as needing help and protection because of risks to their development or health in Lincolnshire as of March 31 this year – down from 3,634 the year before.

Children in need include unborn children, as well as young people aged 18 or over who continue to receive care, accommodation or support from children’s services.

The rate of children in need in Lincolnshire was 241 per 10,000 children, below England's overall rate of 343 per 10,000.

Louise Gittins, chair of the LGA's children and young people board, said the figures highlight the growing pressure on councils to support vulnerable children and families.

She added: "It is absolutely vital that the Autumn Statement ensures that children’s services are adequately funded so councils can meet this continually high demand and ensure children and their families get the support they need, as soon as they need it.

"Councils continue to innovate in order to reduce costs, but further funding is required in order to meet demand."

She said funding for all councils – not just those chosen for pilot schemes – could be invested in stabilising the current social care system and helping the Government "fulfil its ambitions for all children".

Across England, there were over 640,000 referrals requesting services for children in 2023, down 1.5% from 2022.

In Lincolnshire, there were 7,109 referrals last year. Of them, 35.3% were found to not need services.