How local authorities should collect data from social care services to complete the annual children in need census.

The children in need census is an annual statutory census for all local authorities. You must complete statutory censuses by law unless there’s a good reason not to.

The census covers the financial year (1 April to 31 March).

It collects data on children referred to local authority social care services because their health or development is at risk. This includes:

  • children in local-authority care (in placements in a residential home, in a foster family, or with relatives)
  • children who are getting support from their local authority’s social care services
  • children who are the subject of a child protection plan
  • unborn children who will potentially need support from social care services

Important dates

2018 to 2019 census dates:

  • census opens: Monday 1 April 2019
  • deadline for submitting data: Wednesday 31 July 2019

2019 to 2020 census dates:

  • census opens: Wednesday 1 April 2020
  • deadline for submitting data: Friday 31 July 2020

Submit your data

You should submit your data using COLLECT, our centralised data collection and management system.

Note that we’ll only be able to change the status of your data submission to ‘authorised’ once you’ve cleared all errors in the data in COLLECT.

Census documents

These documents will help you complete the census:

2018 to 2019 census guides

2019 to 2020 census guides

If you are looking for guides from past children in need census collections, visit the ‘Children in need census: closed collections’ page.

Do you need help?

Submitting data

For complex questions, please use the service request form. We aim to answer your question within 5 working days.

Accessing COLLECT

Reset your Secure Access login details using the forgotten password or username form.

Please contact your school or local authority approver, if:

  • you want to request a Secure Access username or password so you can access COLLECT
  • ‘children in need census’ is not on the list of collections you can see in COLLECT

If you do not know who your approver is, please use the Secure Access service request form.

Feedback

Please use the feedback form if you have any comments about our data collection service, including COLLECT and the helpdesk service.

Published 25 March 2014
Last updated 28 September 2018 + show all updates

  1. Added 2019 to 2020 census dates and links to guides, removed 2017 to 2018 census dates and links to guides.
  2. Changed 2018 census opening date to Tuesday 3 April, due to a bank holiday on Monday 2 April.
  3. Added link to 2018 to 2019 technical specification and validation rules
  4. Added deadlines and census guides for 2018 to 2019.
  5. Added a guide for local authorities on the reports that they can get from COLLECT.
  6. Added links to new generic COLLECT guides for schools and local authorities.
  7. Updated census dates for 2016 to 2017 and 2017 to 2018.
  8. Added links to the 2017 to 2018 guide, specification and validation rules. Added 2017 to 2018 census dates.
  9. Added a link to the COLLECT guidance for the 2015 to 2016 children in need census.
  10. Added a link to ‘Children in need census 2015 to 2016: COLLECT report specifications’.
  11. Added a link to the 2016 to 2017 technical specification and validation rules.
  12. Added information and guidance for the 2016 to 2017 census.
  13. Added link to ‘Children in need census 2014 to 2015: COLLECT reports guide’.
  14. Added COLLECT guide and XML generator for 2014 to 2015 census.
  15. Added important dates for the 2015 to 2016 census.
  16. Added 2015 to 2016 technical guides information.
  17. First published.

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