Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children have been classified as in need (a) once, (b) twice, (c) three times and (d) four times (i) in the last 12 months and (ii) during their lifetimes.

The information requested is not available.

The proportion of referrals to children’s social care which were within 12 months of a previous referral by local authority, however, is published in the characteristics of children in need statistical first release in table C1 here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/characteristics-of-children-in-need-2013-to-2014