1. Helping Vulnerable Children Needs Assessment Warwickshire Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2015 Emma Adams

2. Background 2 There is no single approach to defining vulnerability in children. National research found that adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are strongly related to adverse behavioural, health and social outcomes. The purpose.... To try to ascertain Warwickshire's cohort of vulnerable children To inform the production of a new Priority Young People Strategy 2015-2018 To provide an evidence-base to inform commissioning decisions across children's health and social care.

3. Demographics 3 According to ONS 2014 mid-year population estimates, Warwickshire's population of children and young people aged 0-18 years was approximately 118,800. The population is predicted to grow by 6%, equating to over 7,000 children and young people, to approximately 126,000 by 2024. Rugby borough has the largest proportion of 0-18 year olds who account for 23.6% of the population. Stratford on Avon district has the smallest proportion of 0-18 year olds, accounting for 20.2% of the population. 118,800 children

4. Deprivation 4 Warwickshire is comprised of 339 LSOAs of which: 18 fall into the 20% most deprived in England 8 fall into the 10% most deprived in England This equates to approximately 7,700 children aged 0-18 years living in the most deprived areas in Warwickshire. Nearly a fifth of children in Nuneaton & Bedworth are estimated to live in the most deprived neighbourhoods in Warwickshire Almost half of children in Warwick are estimated to live in the least deprived neighbourhoods in Warwickshire

5. Priority Families A UK Government scheme to help 'turn around' families with complex and difficult lives, illustrated by worklessness, crime, truancy & anti-social behaviour. Children in these families are a key vulnerable group in Warwickshire. 5

6. Vulnerable Groups Children in Need There were 3,797 children in need in Warwickshire at 31st March 2015; this equates to 3.4% of Warwickshire's child population. Of which: 690 were LAC & 536 were subject to a CPP Looked after children Local authorities take children into care to improve outcomes for them and, as corporate parents, should have equally high aspirations for the children they look after The number of LAC has increased by 8.5% over the past 5 years. Warwickshire's rate of LAC (62) is higher than the England average (60) & considerably higher than Warwickshire's statistical neighbours (49). Children aged between 10 and 15 years represent the majority of looked after children in Warwickshire (39%). 6

7. Vulnerable Groups Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) National shift in the number of applications received for asylum from unaccompanied children from Afghanistan in 2009 to Albania in 2014. The local authority has a duty to protect and support unaccompanied asylum seeking children It is not uncommon for UASC to go missing from care and to never be found/returned to care. Just under half of all missing asylum seeking children since 2011 have been Vietnamese 7

8. Vulnerable Groups Young carers children aged 0-17 years were estimated from Census 2011 data to be providing unpaid care in Warwickshire Young carers are twice as likely to report that their health is 'not good' compared with their peers who provide no care. Young carers who provide more than 50 hours of unpaid care a week are five times more likely to report their health as 'not good' Nuneaton and Bedworth consistently has the highest rate of children & young people subject to a CPP, the highest number of young carers & sits in the top 20% of local authorities nationally when considering the rate of children looked after. This compares with Stratford on Avon district which sits in the lowest 20% of local authorities nationally for rates of CLA. 8

9. Mental Health Half of those with mental health problems first experience symptoms by the age of 14 and three-quarters by the age of 18. Very little data is available on the prevalence of mental health disorders in children and young people in Warwickshire, especially in terms of unmet or unexpressed need. Anxiety: 3.3%, 2,447 children Depression : 0.9%, 667 children Conduct disorders: 5.8%, 4,301 children Rates of hospital admissions for self- harm among young people in Warwickshire have doubled. 9

10. Physical Health Although Warwickshire continues to see a decrease in the proportion of under 18s being admitted to hospital for alcohol- related conditions, the rate of admissions in Nuneaton and Bedworth & Rugby have increased by over 6% from 10/13 to 11/14. Over half of all reception age and year 6 pupils who are overweight/obese in Warwick district attend a school in the 20% least deprived area in the county. 2014 What about YOUth? Survey on smoking attitudes & prevalence of 15 year olds in Warwickshire “ Smoking gives people confidence” 14% “ Smoking helps people relax” “ Smoking is not really dangerous, it only harms people who smoke a lot” 55% 11% 17% “ Smokers stay slimmer than non- smokers” 10

11. There is a clear gap between educational attainment of the majority of children & those from particular groups that are vulnerable to underachievement. Education This gap is often detectable at as young as 22 months and widens throughout the education system. Three in five of Warwickshire’s children achieve a good level of development by the end of their reception year. However, achievement is not as high for children with EAL, children receiving FSM and children with a SEN. For all these vulnerable groups, the gap in attainment is wider than the national average & the gap has widened since 2013. 11

12. One in five pupils were considered to be disadvantaged in the Key Stage 4 year group in 2013/14. Education In 2014, only 34% of disadvantaged pupils in Warwickshire achieved 5 or more A*-C GCSEs including English and Maths compared with 66% of other pupils; a difference of 32ppts This compares to a national gap of 28ppts 12

13. Being NEET between the ages of 16 and 18 years is a major predictor of: Youth Unemployment One in six young people who are NEET will never secure long-term employment, costing on average over £56,000 per young person. The proportion of young people in Warwickshire who are NEET has increased for the first time in seven years, from 3.6% in 2012/13 to 5.5% in 2013/14. The majority of young people who are NEET do not face multiple or complex barriers to engagement, therefore could be prevented from becoming NEET if they are targeted with the right intervention early on. 13

14. Rates of young people aged 10-17 receiving their first reprimand, warning or conviction have been reducing in Warwickshire, from their peak in 2006/07 (2,000 per 100,000 population) to a low of 327 in 2013/14. Crime Of which: 14

15. Children exposed to domestic abuse suffer significant harm from the effects of witnessing such violence. Crime 7x more likely to commit suicide 50% more likely to abuse alcohol or drugs Like to commit 76% of crimes as young juveniles Under-reporting of abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault is acute, meaning the true extent of the issue remains hidden. In Q4 of 13/14, RoSA worked with a total of 148 children in Warwickshire, of whom: children were identified as being exposed or potentially exposed to Child Sexual Exploitation in a Warwickshire study in 2013 Warwickshire’s SARC saw 131 children in 2013/14. A quarter of these children were identified as having vulnerability factors: 15

16. Warwickshire’s Vulnerable Children 16

17. 'Softer' indicators of vulnerability are often overlooked as they require a much deeper understanding of family characteristics, relationships and social circumstance. Adolescence is a key period for establishing life-long health and social behaviours. Too often, focus is on addressing the consequences of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) rather than prevention. Those with ACEs are more likely to propagate a cycle that exposes their own children to ACEs. Help is needed for parents to provide safe and supported childhoods. Key Messages 17

18. Questions / Comments? For further information please contact: Warwickshire’s JSNA Team: jsna@warwickshire.gov.ukjsna@warwickshire.gov.uk Needs assessments are published on Warwickshire’s JSNA website: http://hwb.warwickshire.gov.uk/jsna-needs-assessments/ 18