See answers to previous information requests

1. Please can you provide figures for how many referrals schools in your local authority have made to LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) so far this year and in each of the previous five financial years. If possible, please provide a breakdown of the number of referrals from each school phase (for instance, primary schools, secondary schools, SEND schools and alternative provision) for each of these years.

LADOs should be notified when there is concern a professional or a person who works with children has: “Behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child; Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child; Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children; Behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children; Behaved in a way in their personal life that raises safeguarding concerns.”

The following number of contacts were received from school by the LADO in the last five years:
April 2023-2024: 142 (not finalised)
April 2022-2023: 121
April 2021-2022: 80
April 2020-2021: 43
April 2019-2020: 68

a) As such, for each referral that falls within the requested rate range, please provide detail of which of the above concerns was raised in relation to each case if possible. If you are able to provide more detail about the nature of each allegation, please do so.
Given the number of contacts received over the past 5 years, it is not possible to provide details for all 454 contacts within the timeframe allowed for FOI’s. Each record would need to be individually considered to ensure that there was no identifying information for any individual, in order to provide details of each contact – this would take in excess of 18 hours.

b) For each case, please let me know if the allegation was serious enough to meet the threshold of harm for an ASV (allegation against staff or volunteers) meeting and/or involving the police. Please also let me know how many cases were not viewed as serious enough to meet this threshold but still required the agency to undertake an internal investigation. If you are not able to provide this level of detail on each case, can you please provide it as a total for each year, preferably separated by school type?
2023-2024: 20 (5 Primary / 7 Secondary / 3 Combined / 5 specialist)
2022-2023: 26 (13 Primary / 7 Secondary / 9 Specialist)
2021-2022: 12 (2 Primary / 4 Secondary / 5 Combined / 1 Specialist)
2020-2021: 11 (2 Primary / 6 Secondary / 2Combined / 1 Specialist)
2019-2020: 24 (9 Primary / 8 Secondary / 1 Combined / 6 Specialist)

LADOs must operate within the Department for Education’s Keeping children safe in education statutory guidance, which states the following definitions should be used when determining the outcome of allegation investigations:
o Substantiated: there is sufficient evidence to prove the allegation;
o Malicious: there is sufficient evidence to disprove the allegation and there has been a deliberate act to deceive;
o False: there is sufficient evidence to disprove the allegation;
o Unsubstantiated: there is insufficient evidence to either prove or disprove the allegation. The term, therefore, does not imply guilt or innocence;
o Unfounded: to reflect cases where there is no evidence or proper basis which supports the allegation being made.

2. For each year I’ve requested data on, can you please let me know the overall number of referrals from all sources (and if possible provide a breakdown of what the main referral sources where?)
2023-24: Overall Referrals: Approx 488 (not finalised – sources not yet reconciled))
2022-23: Overall Referrals: 344 - Top three referrers: Education: 121, Social care: 74, Other: 49
2021-22: Overall Referrals: 199 - Top three referrers: Education: 80, Social Care: 36, Other: 27
2020-21- Overall Referrals: 167 - Top three Referrers: Education: 43, Social Care: 32, Residential: 18
2019-20- Overall Referrals: 220 - Top Three Referrers : Education: 68, Social Care: 36, Residential Units: 30