 8% 42% 48% 16% 13% 13% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 2015–16 2017–18 2019–20 2021–22 2023–24 Phase 5 Phase 6Phase 7Phase 8Phase 9 Outcomes of early help assessments Referral to social care (step up) Referral to universal service(s) (step down) Advice and information provided only Support/intervention provided NFA – No support/intervention provided NFA – End of support/intervention provided 39 Figure 9: Service activities following early help assessments for Earned Autonomy authorities compared with all authorities that submitted data Source: SP9 respondents. The England number is extrapolated from 68 local authority responses based on the proportion of the England population. New policy announcement In November 2024, the Secretary of State for Education announced the suspension, with immediate effect, of the payment by results mechanism for Supporting Families funding. She also announced a new Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant to lay the groundwork for children’s social care reform, enabling investment in additional prevention activity through Family Help. 20.62 38.22 39.86 127.69 21.93 38.17 22.14 38.70 8.38 134.93 23.82 17.41 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 Referral to social care (step up) Advice and Information provided only NFA - No support/intervention provided England Earned Autonomy 40 4 Children’s social care All 34 of the SP9 DCS interviewees referred to increases in serious, complex child safeguarding concerns, particularly in relation to young children, larger sibling groups and to adolescents facing risk and harm outside the home, including serious violence and what is recorded on data systems as ‘gang’ activity. Despite this overall increase in pressure, over half of survey respondents (55%) also identified at least one area where there 