New figures show the number of investigations carried out by councils where a child is thought to be at risk of harm is on average over 600 every day, underlining the need for councils to be adequately funded in next month’s Autumn Budget.
There were 230,590 child protection investigations in the year to 31 March 2025 in England – the equivalent of 631 a day – according to Department for Education data published today.
Known as section 47 enquiries, an investigation takes place whenever a council identifies there is a reasonable cause to suspect a child is suffering, or likely to suffer significant harm.
The Local Government Association, which represents councils, is calling on the Chancellor in the Budget to ensure that all councils receive sufficient funding to invest long-term into family help, child protection, child in care and care leaver services.
It says council support for children and young people is central to the Government’s objective to break down barriers to opportunity for young people.
Key drivers behind the increase in children needing support include mental health concerns and domestic abuse.
The rise in investigations has also been fuelled by an increase in schools making referrals to children’s social services.
It follows recent warnings by the LGA of the worsening financial pressures on councils.
Between 2022/23 and 2024/25, despite increased levels of budgeted spend, councils overspent annually on average by 14.2 per cent on children’s social care.
In 2025/26, planned budgets show a 10.1 per cent rise for children’s social care.
Overspending means councils are increasingly being forced to rely on emergency measures such as in-year cuts to spend for other services and drawing on depleting reserves to balance their books, which the LGA says is not financially sustainable.
Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the LGA’s Children, Young People and Families Committee, said:
“What is most important is that every child gets the help and support they need, and councils will always act when there are concerns.
“But these alarming figures show the increasing pressures that councils are under to continue providing this lifeline of support.
“This is why we are calling on the Chancellor in the Autumn Budget to ensure that councils are adequately resourced and funded so they can provide this vital care and support to children, young people and their families.”
