DfE figures also show social services dealing with more children seeking asylum and those affected by abuse linked to faith

There has been a sharp increase in the number of children referred to social services who are at risk of gang involvement and trafficking, according to government statistics.

Data published by the Department for Education showed a 27% rise in referrals for children affected by gangs compared with last year, and figures up 20% for those affected by trafficking.

The data also revealed a jump in the number of asylum-seeking children referred to social services and seen by a social worker, up 30% on last year’s figures. The number of children at risk of abuse linked to faith or belief is also up 20%.

Though the figures are stark, the DfE said the numbers of children referred and seen by social workers for these reasons remain small and only makes up 1% of the total figure, while domestic violence remains the most common factor of concern.

“These percentage increases are relatively large,” the DfE research acknowledges, “but it should be noted that they are from a low base compared to some other factors, and they remain uncommon overall.

“Domestic violence (including that directed at children, the parent/carer or other adults in the household) remains the most common factor identified at end of assessment, followed by mental health (including that of the child, the parent/carer or other adults in the household). Together these two factors account for over a third of all factors identified.”

The Children’s Society called for additional government funding to address the £3bn funding shortfall facing children’s social care by 2025. Sam Royston, director of policy and research, said: “The significant increase in children at risk of gang involvement and trafficking – and the numbers of all children subject to child protection investigations – are of real concern.

“We see through our frontline work the devastating impact upon children who are groomed and exploited to traffic drugs in county lines operations and the violence that goes with that.

“Yet years of funding cuts have left councils struggling to provide vital early support to at-risk children and their families, including those at risk of exploitation – meaning the challenges they are facing are more likely to escalate and put them in danger.”

According to the government’s latest children in need statistics, there has been a slight decrease in the number of children referred to social services and seen by a social worker, down from 404,700 in the year leading up to March 2018 to 399,500 this year. The proportion of children being referred also decreased slightly, down to 334.2 per 10,000 children in 2019, down from 341.0 last year.

There are also slightly fewer children on child protection plans this year, down 3% to 52,300 from 2018 figures. Boys (53%) are slightly more likely to be in need than girls (45%).

A government spokesperson said: “We are working to strengthen families and tackle the causes of need – from mental health and addiction to domestic abuse. We are also providing an extra £1bn for local councils to deliver social care.

“We are also cracking down on exploitation of young people by criminal gangs and supporting councils in their duty to care for unaccompanied asylum seeking children, alongside providing more investment in mental health support.”

Headteachers, who play a central role in safeguarding and supporting vulnerable children, called for additional funding to invest in early intervention.

Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said there had been an unprecedented surge in demand for children’s social care support in recent years, which meant limited resources were taken up by urgent intervention for children already at crisis point.

“A school is most successful as a place of learning when it works within the context of high-quality social care, health and many other services who work together across boundaries to meet pupils’ needs. The government cannot ignore the funding and capacity pressures on all of those services,” he said.