ms as ‘gang’ activity. Despite this overall increase in pressure, over half of survey respondents (55%) also identified at least one area where there had been a decrease in safeguarding activity, citing examples such as child protection conferences or numbers of children entering care. These changes were attributed to the implementation and embedding of models of social work practice, often alongside a more robust early help offer. In some areas, specific events, such as the closure of a Home Office commissioned asylum hotel, or a declining child population were contributing factors. 4.1 Contacts with children’s social care Table 3: Initial contacts received in the period (1st April to 31st March). Source: SP9 respondents. The England number is extrapolated from 108 local authority responses based on proportion of England population Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 Phase 6 Phase 7 Phase 8 Phase 9 Change over time Change Phase 8 to Phase 9 2007– 08 2009– 10 2011– 12 2013– 14 2015– 16 2017– 18 2019– 20 2021– 22 2023– 24 Number (England) 1,349,042 1,746,665 2,051,273 2,324,825 2,190,049 2,395,852 2,519,393 2,766,704 3,001,339 122% 8% Rate per 10k 0–17 population 1,210 1,555 1,809 2,026 1,889 2,045 2,137 2,352 2,501 107% 6% Initial contact data tracks safeguarding concerns raised with local authorities by members of the public and multi-agency partners. Many local authorities operate a combined first point of contact that gathers all contacts, while others have a discrete first point of contact for early help concerns before the front door to children’s social care. SP data returns on initial contacts show an upward trend over the course of this research, with just one small drop in activity evident in phase five. While increases over the early years of the project m