Children looked after return: guide to submitting data

How local authorities should collect and submit data for the annual children looked after return (also known as SSDA903).

The children looked after return is an annual statutory data collection for all local authorities. You must complete statutory censuses by law unless there’s a good reason not to.

The data covers the financial year (1 April to 31 March). It records details of:

• every child your local authority looks after at any time during the year
• all young people who are eligible for care leaver support and whose 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th or 21st birthday falls within the collection period
• information on the health of children who have been looked after continuously for 12 months
• information on adoptions of looked-after children

Under the Children Act 1989, a child is legally defined as ‘looked after’ by a local authority if he or she:

• gets accommodation from the local authority for a continuous period of more than 24 hours
• is subject to a care order (to put the child into the care of the local authority)
• is subject to a placement order (to put the child up for adoption)

Important dates

2018 to 2019 return

• return opens: Monday 1 April 2019
• submission deadline: Friday 31 May 2019

Submit your data

You should submit your 2018 to 2019 data in XML or CSV format using the ‘CLA 2019 application’. We’ll publish the application before the return opens and notify all users.

See the guide for local authorities for more information on preparing the data.

Return documents

The following documents will help local authorities complete the children looked after return:

2018 to 2019 return

• guide for local authorities
• technical specification

2019 to 2020 return

• guide for local authorities
• technical specification

If you’re looking for guides from past children looked after returns, visit the ‘Children looked after return: closed collections’ page.

Do you need help?

Submitting data

For complex questions, or if you want to request a username and password for the CLA application, please use the service request form. We aim to answer your question within 5 working days.

Feedback

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

Published 25 March 2014
Last updated 15 October 2018 + show all updates

1. 15 October 2018 Added links to the 2019 to 2020 return guide and technical specification and updated important dates for the 2018 to 2019 return.
2. 23 February 2018 Changed the opening date of the 2017 to 2018 return from Monday 2 April to Tuesday 3 April 2018 due to bank holiday.
3. 23 October 2017 Added links to the 2018 to 2019 return guide and technical specification.
4. 29 September 2017 Removed documents relating to 2016 to 2017 return.
5. 6 July 2017 Added ‘CLA return 2017 to 2018: technical specification’.
6. 17 May 2017 Added link to 2017 to 2018 return guide for local authorities.
7. 21 November 2016 Corrected dates for 2016 to 2017 submissions. Added dates for 2017 to 2018 submissions. Removed documents relating to 2015 to 2016 return.
8. 19 February 2016 Added a link to the ‘Children looked after return 2014 to 2015: validation rules’.
9. 11 February 2016 Updated to show that the care-leaver data includes 17- and 18-year-olds.
10. 27 November 2015 Added links to the technical specification and XML schema for the 2015 to 2016 return. Also added the dates, technical specification and guide for local authorities for the 2016 to 2017 return.
11. 13 February 2015 Added ‘Children looked after return 2014 to 2015: validation rules’ link.
12. 4 November 2014 Added link to ‘Children looked after return 2015 to 2016: guide’.
13. 11 September 2014 Added 2015 to 2016 return documents info.
14. 20 May 2014 Added important dates for the 2014 to 2015 return.
15. 25 March 2014 First published.

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