Department For Education
The children looked after return is an annual statutory data collection for all local authorities. You must complete statutory censuses by law unless theres 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
2021 to 2022 return
Return dates are:
- collection opens 1 April 2022
- data loaded by 31 May 2022
- data submitted by 30 June 2022
Submit your data
You should submit your 2020 to 2021 data in XML or CSV format using the CLA 2021 application. Well 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:
2021 to 2022 return
2022 to 2023 return
2023 to 2024 return
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.
Last updated 5 October 2022 +show all updates
-
Updated 'return documents' section with latest 2023 to 2024 information.
-
Updated 'important dates' and 'return documents' sections with latest 2022-2023 information.
-
Updated how to submit data for 2020 to 2021.
-
Added links to the 2021 to 2022 return guide and technical specification and updated important dates for the 2020 to 2021 return.
-
2019 to 2020 return dates information updated.
-
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: the children looked after data collection will not open on 1 April.
-
Added deadline for submitting 2019 to 2020 children looked after return data - Tuesday 30 June 2020.
-
Added links to the 2020 to 2021 return guide and technical specification and updated important dates for the 2019 to 2020 return.
-
Updated 'guide for local authorities' link in 'Submit your data' section.
-
Added links to the 2019 to 2020 return guide and technical specification and updated important dates for the 2018 to 2019 return.
-
Changed the opening date of the 2017 to 2018 return from Monday 2 April to Tuesday 3 April 2018 due to bank holiday.
-
Added links to the 2018 to 2019 return guide and technical specification.
-
Removed documents relating to 2016 to 2017 return.
-
Added 'CLA return 2017 to 2018: technical specification'.
-
Related Articles
Comments
Write a Comment
Ministerial Departmental News
- PM's Office, 10 Downing Street
- Cabinet Office
- Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
- Department for Communities and Local Government
- Department for Culture, Media and Sport
- Department for Education
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Department for International Development
- Department for Transport
- Department for Work and Pensions
- Department of Energy and Climate Change
- Department of Health
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office
- HM Treasury
- Home Office
- Ministry of Defence
- Ministry of Justice
- Northern Ireland Office
- Scotland Office
- Wales Office
- See all departments