en in need census is a child-level data collection. This means the DfE can track and analyse the journeys of individual children and explore how these vary according to their characteristics and needs. This information can help local authorities when planning and commissioning services and also central government when developing and monitoring its policies. It helps us to answer questions such as are younger children more likely to become the subject of a child protection plan. DfE can add value to these data by linking them to other data sources such as the national pupil database (NPD) and the children looked after data collection. Linking to the children looked after data allows, for example, the analysis of the proportion of looked after children who are disabled and analysis of the original reasons for the child being identified as being in need. Over time, linking to the NPD allows the analysis of the effectiveness of services on pupil outcomes, which will lead to better commissioning of services in the future. It will allow us to identify attainment of children in need and the progression between key stages following the receipt of services. It will also allow exploration of other relationships with absence, exclusions and characteristics (such as free school meal (FSM) eligibility, looked after and special educational need (SEN) status) and to build a more complete local and national picture of the children in need population. 1.4 Benefits of the children in need census to local authorities Data collected at a national level is of value to local authorities and others as part of a wider system of improvement and accountability. Collecting and holding information centrally, as with the children in need census data, enables valuable local comparisons to be made th