The Variations in Children Entering Care Across Local Authorities: Taking Population Characteristics Into Account

The rates of children entering public care vary by local authority, but it is hard to know how much this is due to population characteristics or practice variation. This study used linked Welsh administrative datasets to run multilevel logistic regression models predicting care entry. These explored variation across local authorities when population characteristics were controlled for. Local authorities with care rates higher or lower than their populations would have predicted were identified. Focus groups with social workers in local authorities with rates lower than expected by population need saw LA practice culture and attitudes as linked to lower rates.