2023 data
A child who has been in the care of their local authority for more than 24 hours is known as a looked after child.
Looked after children are also often referred to as children in care, a term which many children and young people prefer.
A total of 345 children (74 per 100,000 children under 18 years) were in care in Brighton & Hove as of 31 March 2023.
This is similar to England (71 per 100,000) and higher than the South East (57 per 100,000).
The children who are looked after in Brighton & Hove varies from year to year and has fallen over time, with a 20% decrease seen in the rate per 100,000 from 2015 to 2023, equivalent to 127 fewer children.
As of 31 March 2023, the overall number of looked after children was similar to England (71 per 100,000) and higher than the South East (57 per 100,000).
In England the rate of looked after children increased from 2015, from 60 per 100,000 to 71 per 100,000.
The rate also increased in the South East, from 49 per 100,000 in 2015 to 57 per 100,000 in 2023.
Brighton & Hove has the 71st highest rate of looked after children out of 152 local authorities with available data (no data available for 4 local authorities).
Information is also available on children starting to be looked after, with 25 per 100,000 (116 children) children starting to be looked after in Brighton & Hove in 2023, similar to England and the South East (both 28 per 100,000).
In Brighton & Hove in 2023, 35 per 100,000 (163 children) children ceased to be looked after, higher than England and the South East (both 27 per 100,000).
Looked after children in the city are primarily placed in foster placements (65%) or secure units, children's homes and semi-independent living accommodations (23%).
The category of need for looked after children is predominantly:
Data on the geographical distribution of looked after children in Brighton & Hove is not available.
Access to a range of data from Census 2021, including local data at different geographical levels, maps and 2011 census data is available locally on Community Insight and nationally at Census 2021.
Information on children in care is available from government education statistics.
| 2023 Statistics, Brighton & Hove (n) | 2023 Statistics, Brighton & Hove: Children in care, rate per 100,000 children | 2023 Statistics, South East: Children in care, rate per 100,000 children | 2023 Statistics, Engand: Children in care, rate per 100,000 children | 2015 Statistics, Brighton & Hove (n) | 2015 Statistics, Brighton & Hove: Children in care, rate per 100,000 children | Change Brighton & Hove (n) | Change Brighton & Hove (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children looked after at 31 March | 345 | 74 | 57 | 71 | 472 | 93 | 127 | -20% |
| Children ceasing to be looked after each year | 163 | 35 | 27 | 27 | Not available | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Children starting to be looked after each year | 116 | 25 | 28 | 28 | Not available | Not available | Not available | Not available |
Among looked after children in Brighton & Hove in 2023, there were more male looked after children (62%) than female (38%).
Among all children under 18 years of age in the city 49% are male.
The majority of looked after children in the city are 10 to 15 years of age (39%) or 16 years of age and older (33%).
The majority of looked after children are of White ethnicity (66%), with 15% of Mixed ethnicity. This is fairly similar compared to all children in the city.
Among all children in the city who were 15 years of age or younger in 2021, 72% were of White ethnicity and 11% of Mixed ethnicity. Among all looked after children, 15% are unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Information on other characteristics of children in care is not published as part of the official government statistics.