Nursery World - One in four children in Scotland referred to social care before their fifth birthday

One in four children in Scotland are referred to social care before their fifth birthday, and one in 17 children are investigated for suspected abuse, reveals new research.

The research by the University of Lancashire reveals how many children are referred to social care, PHOTO: Adobe Stock

According to research from the University of Lancashire, concerns about children’s welfare resulted in 13,784 children being referred to a social worker, with one in 17 children being subject to a child protection investigation, triggered when there are concerns around suffering or if a child is likely to suffer significant harm.

The research looked at the number of children born in the year ending 31 July 2013 that had been involved in the child protection process before their fifth birthday. Data was collected through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests from Scotland’s 32 local authorities. It also found that one in 38 had been subject to compulsory measures of care before their fifth birthday.

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