 a significant increase in referrals to children’s social care over the last two years with a 15% increase in referrals between 2022–23 and 2023–24. This is a continuation of a trend that has been evident since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic… Last year saw a 47% increase in referrals to children’s social care… across most communities, but the increase has been biggest in those from our most deprived communities and lower- to middle-income households. (Survey, County, Yorkshire and Humber Region) Slight inconsistencies between the SP dataset and the DfE’s annual statistics are to be expected due to the methodology used to extrapolate national data from a sample of local authorities. In this case, for SP9, 122 local authorities provided referral data which was used to calculate the national picture. Both the SP dataset and the DfE’s Children in Need statistical release show a trend of broad stability in referral numbers, with a very slight decline seen since 2017–18; this decrease is more evident in the nationally published data. As the feedback above illustrates, although the broad trend for referrals is that of stability, individual local authorities within this group will have different experiences in any given year and it remains important to hear the stories behind the national average trend. Figure 14: Summary of total referrals over time. Source: SP9 respondents Source: The England number is extrapolated from 122 local authority responses based on the proportion of the England population. 523,015 611,748 605,945 659,840 622,799 659,881 633,657 623,522 626,798 0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 700,000 2007–8 2009–10 2011–12 2013–14 2015–16 2017–18 2019–20 2021–22 2023–24 Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 Phase 6 Phase 7 Phase 8 Phase 9 46 Fig