Explaining local variation in referrals from health services to children's social care in England 2013-16: a study using 'children in need' administrative data.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Referral rates from Health service to Children's Social Care (CSC) services vary across England. In 2019, the National Audit Office (re)iterated the urgent need to understand the drivers of such variation.

Methods

Using administrative data (Children in Need Census, 2013-16), we calculated annual referral rates from Health to CSC services (Health referral rate) by Local Authority (LA) areas. We used multilevel linear regression to investigate the relationship between age-adjusted Health referral rates and local need (demand factors) and local practice/systems (supply factors). We present a tool to compare unadjusted and adjusted LA rates.

Results

There was high LA variation in Health referral rates, particularly for infants (mean = 29.0/1000 children < 1 y;

SUBMITTER: Emmott EH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8042370 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature