Protecting children and supporting families to give children the best start in life
Reduction in the number of children in care
Since the introduction of Family Valued in April 2021, there has been a safe reduction year-on-year in the number of children and young people in care in Coventry (unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people are not included in these numbers). The overall number of children in care has reduced across the 3 years from 735 in 2021, to 627 in 2024, and by the end of March 2025 it fell to 614.
A key part of Family Valued was reunification and, since June 2021, 52 children and young people have returned home through this focus. The number of families subject to ongoing care proceedings has also reduced year-on-year, from 137 families in March 2021, to 49 families at the end of March 2025.
The introduction of Family Valued in 2021 saw an initial rise in the number of children requiring a Child Protection Plan. However, this also is now decreasing. In March 2021, there were 465 children in Coventry who had a child protection plan.
In March 2025 the number was 398. We know we need to continue to do more, to continue to safely reduce the number of children who require protection. Repeat referrals to children’s social care The continued focus on embedding the Coventry Family Valued Project, alongside a commitment to delivering high-quality support for children and families, has contributed to a positive reduction in the re-referral rate from 20.9% in March 2024 to 18.6% at year-end 2024 to 2025.
This compares to an England average at 22.4%. Through a multi-agency approach to safeguarding, we have been able to focus on re-referrals to improve our understanding of themes and trends and identify areas of practice improvement required to deliver the best outcomes for children and families.
| Reporting period | Coventry (%) | Statistical Neighbours (%) | England (%) | Target (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 to 2018 | 20.9% | 23.0% | 21.9% | 19.0% |
| 2018 to 2019 | 25.2% | 23.1% | 22.6% | 19.0% |
| 2019 to 2020 | 24.6% | 24.7% | 22.6% | 19.0% |
| 2020 to 2021 | 25.0% | 23.2% | 22.7% | 24.0% |
| 2021 to 2022 | 24.7% | 21.2% | 21.5% | 24.0% |
| 2022 to 2023 | 19.1% | 23.6% | 22.4% | 24.0% |
| 2023 to 2024 | 20.9% | 22.3% | 22.4% | 24.0% |
| 2024 to 2025 | 18.6% | - | - | 24.0% |
Children in care who have previously been in care
The percentage of children entering care, who were previously in care has decreased from 5.3% in March 2024 to 4.5% in March 2025.
| Reporting period | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 2017 to 2018 | 8.0% |
| 2018 to 2019 | 8.1% |
| 2019 to 2020 | 7.7% |
| 2020 to 2021 | 5.6% |
| 2021 to 2022 | 9.6% |
| 2022 to 2023 | 3.4% |
| 2023 to 2024 | 5.3% |
| 2024 to 2025 | 4.5% |
Reunification example – Lilly’s Story*
At 17 years old Lilly had a long-standing history of Childrens Services involvement in her and/or her family’s life. The concerns related to neglectful parenting and that Lilly’s mother was not able to meet her needs or keep her safe.
Lilly was made subject to a Child Protection Plan in May 2022 for neglect and Childrens Services sought to support the family to try and help Lilly remain in her family home at this stage. Despite the work and support provided through the Child Protection plan, the concerns continued and in January 2023 Lilly came into Local Authority care in agreement with her mother under Section 20 – she moved into a foster home.
At this stage, Lilly’s father Dave was not working with services, and it was known that he was struggling with substance misuse issues and homelessness. However, following efforts to locate him, Dave accepted support and shared he would like to do whatever was necessary to care for Lilly and for her to live with him.
Dave committed to working with services to address his substance use and a Parenting Assessment was completed which was positive - housing however remained a significant issue. A plan of Reunification was put in place and a referral to the Reunification Team was made.
It was felt that to secure the best possible outcome for Lilly, the family would need all of the support that was available. The Reunification Team offered intensive support and completed intervention with both Dave and Lilly, to build relationships and help them see that a return to Dave’s care could be possible.
The team provided advocacy for Dave in relation to housing and made it a priority to help him secure appropriate housing so that Lilly could return home. Through effective partnership working, Dave was offered appropriate housing and following planning meetings and further support, a transition plan was devised. This involved Lilly having overnight stays initially with her father, before increasing in line with her wishes and feelings before a return to her father’s care permanently in March 2024.
The Reunification Teram remained a constant support following Lilly’s transition home and Dave has always known that he can call his Support Worker at any time for advice, and this would always be responded to. Whilst working with Lilly, she would say that she has always wanted to live with her father, and they have a very close relationship.
Lilly settled well into her father’s care and has remained with him ever since. She has returned to school, to sixth form and is sitting her exams which is a huge achievement given her experiences. The involvement of the Reunification Team ended in January 2025, but the team still often get texts or calls to update on good news and progress.
Dave also engaged in a promotional video for Childrens Services to share his experiences with the Reunification Team and express gratitude for all of the support he was given. The intervention and support offered has made a real difference for this family and highlights how with belief in families, valuing them and their strengths - the right support, at the right time with the right people, shows how change is possible, and reunification can be achieved.
*All names have been changed.
