Government of Jersey

Child protection statistics (FOI)

Produced by the Freedom of Information office
Authored by Government of Jersey and published on 15 December 2021.
Prepared internally, no external costs.

Request

In the last five or 10 years , how many children under the age of 18 have been removed from their family homes by the relevant authorities (Minister for Children / Children Services / Police) following child abuse or child neglect reports? If possible could you please provide the type of abuse suffered as well?

In that same timeline, how many children have been returned to their family home after being removed by the Minister only to suffer further abuse again and then removed for the second time?

In the last five years, what are the statistics around interim care orders, care orders, residential orders, supervision orders, emergency protection orders and police protection orders?

Have there been any instances where a social worker or the Minister have been perceived to have failed to act in the best interest of a child and if so how many times?

Are there any records to show that most parents who abuse their children would have suffered abuse themselves at some stage in their lives?

How many children have sued the minister for damages for personal injury claims?

Response from Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills

Between 1 January 2018 and 31 October 2021, a total of 79 children have been brought into care with a recorded need of ‘Abuse or neglect’.

For information prior to 2018, and to further categorise the type of abuse, would require manual consolidation of data. It is estimated that the cost of consolidating and extracting the data in order to provide a response, would exceed the cost limit provisions set out in the Freedom of Information (Costs) (Jersey) Regulations 2014. Therefore Article 16 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Of the 79 children, fewer than five were returned to their family home and then had a subsequent care episode. We are unable to share exact number where there are fewer than five, to protect the privacy of the individual(s) concerned. Article 25 (Personal information) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) 2011 has therefore been applied.

From 2018 onwards: Order Type	Count of Children
Care order	27
Emergency protection order	15
Interim care order	44
Under police protection and in States of Jersey accommodation	10
Supervision Order	28
Residence Order	14
Grand Total	138

D & E

The information requested is not available centrally and to extract the information for each case would exceed the cost limit provisions set out in the Freedom of Information (Costs) (Jersey) Regulations 2014. Article 16 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

Fewer than five minors have sued the Minister for personal injury claims. We are unable to share the exact number where there are fewer than five, to protect the privacy of the individual(s) concerned. Article 25 (Personal information) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) 2011 has therefore been applied.

Response from the States of Jersey Police

Due to the low numbers involved, and the risk that in some circumstances, parties could be identified, instances below five are not being specified, and Article 25 (Personal information) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Children removed from family homes under Police Protection Orders
	Risk of exploitation by adults	Neglect	Risk of physical abuse	Self-harm or suicide	Parents Indisposed	Total
2012		<5				<5
2013		<5				<5
2014						0
2015		<5				<5
2016						0
2017				<5		<5
2018		<5				<5
2019		<5				<5
2020	<5	<5	<5		<5	6
2021 (to 6 Dec)	<5	<5			<5	9
Total	5	12	<5	<5	<5	24

Police Protection Order in all circumstances
	Risk of exploitation by adults	Neglect	Concern for general safety	Under influence of alcohol	Under influence of drugs	Anti-social behaviour	Risk of physical abuse	Self harm or suicide	Parents indisposed	Total
2017								<5		<5
2018	<5	<5	<5	<5						6
2019	<5	5			<5					11
2020	6	<5	<5			<5	<5	5	<5	20
2021 (to 6 Dec)	8	<5	<5			<5		<5	<5	22
Total	20	15	5	<5	<5	<5	<5	10	<5	62

Articles Applied

Article 16 - A scheduled public authority may refuse to supply information if cost excessive

(1) A scheduled public authority that has been requested to supply information may refuse to supply the information if it estimates that the cost of doing so would exceed an amount determined in the manner prescribed by Regulations.

Article 25 - Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018. (2) Information is absolutely exempt information if – (a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018; and (b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.

(3) In determining for the purposes of this Article whether the lawfulness principle in Article 8(1)(a) of the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018 would be contravened by the disclosure of information, paragraph 5(1) of Schedule 2 to that Law (legitimate interests) is to be read as if sub-paragraph (b) (which disapplies the provision where the controller is a public authority) were omitted.