fE, 2024e). These numbers represent a 370% increase in UAS children in care over the last 10 years, with a 29% increase between SP8 and SP9 (Table 9). Table 9: Number of UAS children in care over time Source: SP9 respondents. Extrapolated from 115 respondents. Phase 4 Phase 5 Phase 6 Phase 7 Phase 8 Phase 9 Change over time Change P8 to P9 2013– 14 2015– 16 2017– 18 2019– 20 2021– 22 2023– 24 Number of UAS children in care at period end 1,511 4,524 4,395 4,592 5,524 7,106 370% 29% The absence of safe and legal routes for asylum-seeking children and young people entering the country results in significant safeguarding pressures, which fall disproportionately on local authorities that include major ports or transport routes. The National Transfer Scheme 4,287 4,689 6,407 6,081 6,507 8,195 10,153 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 2011–12 2013–14 2015–16 2017–18 2019–20 2021–22 2023–24 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 Phase 6 Phase 7 Phase 8 Phase 9 Under 1 1 to 4 5 to 9 10 to 15 16 and over 51 (NTS) was set up by the government in 2016 as a mechanism to transfer responsibility for unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children from one local authority to another; participation has been mandatory for all local authorities since 2022. In addition to those arriving via the NTS, children and young people come to the attention of local authorities by other means. These include people trafficking and young people being dispersed through the Asylum Dispersal programme as adults following an assessment at the point of entry by the Home Office and subsequently re-assessed by local authorities as UAS children. New data collected for SP9 shows significant regional variation in the rates and numbers of UAS children entering local authority care. The South East shows the highest rate, 