To Information Contacts in England Dear Colleague Re UPDATE to

							                                                      SSDA903 Enquiries to: Anne-Gaëlle Roche
                                                      Direct Line: 020 7925 3803
                                                      Email: Anne-Gaelle.Roche@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk

                                                      CIN Enquiries to: Justin Rashid
                                                      Direct Line: 020 7925 7482
                                                      E-mail: Justin.Rashid@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk

                                                      Date: 23 November 2007



To Information Contacts in England

Dear Colleague


Re: UPDATE to letter on new items on children’s social services returns for 2008-09
sent on 28 September 2007.

This letter relates to the SSDA903 Children Looked After and Children in Need (CIN)
returns which are the responsibility of the DCSF. It informs Local Authorities of the
changes to code lists in the SSDA903 Children Looked After return from April 2008 to fall
in line with the 2008-09 Children in Need (CIN) data collection. It also confirms the final
code lists for all data items in the 2008-09 CIN collection; some of these have been
revised since the original letter of 28 September 2007, following consultation with
authorities.

At a meeting involving IT suppliers representing the vast majority of Local Authorities on
02 November 2007, a key issue was raised about achieving more consistency between
codes used in the SSDA903 and CIN data collections as many suppliers will provide a
single underlying system for both collections. This was particularly noted for gender and
ethnic origin.

The IT suppliers who attended the meeting on 02 November asked that the alignment be
introduced for the 2008-09 SSDA903 returns. A consultation paper was circulated to
External Scrutiny Group (ESG) members on 08 November 2007 proposing to bring the
SSDA903 codes on gender and ethnic origin in line with the new CIN census. The paper
was accepted by LA members on Thursday 15 November.

A list of the additional new codes that will be required for gender and ethnic origin in the
SSDA903 collection from April 2008 is detailed in the Additions to Annex A. Software
suppliers indicated at the earlier meeting that it would be possible to change systems in
time to implement these changes on the 1st April 2008.

The final code lists for the CIN collection are in the Revisions to Annex E. The main
changes since the letter of 28 September are to the ethnic origin code values, disability
type (an additional code), reason for closure (2 additional codes), service type (fewer
codes) and open case information (additional codes and changes to code values).
Potential future developments

We currently expect that the ethnic origin codes for SSDA903 and CIN data collections for
2009-10 will be modified to fall in line with the codes used in the School Census as they
are compliant with the e-Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF). These e-GIF
codes can be found at:
http://www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/ethnicminorities/collecting/763919/811081/. Such
changes were not required for the 2008-09 data collection to provide local authority
sufficient lead-in time.

Overview of changes and additions:

1.SSDA903

       Gender - Addition of two new codes in SSDA903 (See Additions to Annex A)

       Ethnic origin - Addition of four new codes in SSDA903 (See Additions to Annex A)


2.Children in Need (CIN)

       A list of the final code lists for the 2008-09 CIN collection, highlighting the changes
       since the letter of 28 September (See Revisions to Annex E).


If you have any queries about these collections please contact the individuals listed at the
top of this letter.

Thank you in advance for your continued help in providing the data the Department needs.

Yours faithfully,

MALCOLM BRITTON
Chief Statistician
Department for Children, Schools, and Families
Head of Data Services Group (DSG)
Chair of the External Scrutiny Group
CHANGES TO THE SSDA903 COLLECTION                           Additions to ANNEX A

The field on disability, coded DISAB, will continue to be unused for the 2008-09 SSDA903
data collection.

9. SSDA903:      Two new codes are added to the          To align method of
new codes on     gender:                                 collection to the CIN
gender              • Not recorded or unborn (0)         one.
                    • Indeterminate gender (9)
10. SSDA903:     Four new codes are added to the         To align method of
new codes on     ethnic origin:                          collection to the CIN
ethnic origin       • Traveller or Irish Heritage (A4)   one.
                    • Gypsy/Roma (A5)
                    • Refused (E3)
                    • Information not yet obtained
                        (E4)
NEW COLLECTION: 2008-09 CHILDREN IN NEED                             Revisions to ANNEX E

The Children in Need technical specification for the 2008-09 collection went out for
consultation in September. Following comments made by Local Authorities during this
consultation, the decision was made to align the code values used for the ethnic origin in
the Children in Need (CIN) collection (e.g. WBRI) to the code values used in the Children
Looked After (SSDA903) collection (e.g. A1) to make it easier for local authority to
familiarise themselves with CIN. Changes were also made to other codes including
disability type, service type, open case information, reason for closure and category of
abuse, to take into account other comments received during this exercise. An updated
version of the technical specification and guidance notes was sent by the DSG Helpdesk
on Wednesday 17 October to CIN contacts.

This letter confirms the final code lists that will be used in the 2008-09 CIN collection.
Changes since the letter of 28 September are highlighted.


UPDATED Code Lists for Children in Need Census

Gender
0                  Not known (means that the gender of the person has not been recorded). Also covers
                   gender of unborn children.
1                  Male
2                  Female
9                  Not specified (means indeterminate ie. unable to be classed as either male or
                   female).

Ethnic Code (as used by Social Services)
A1              White - British
A2              White - Irish
A3              Any Other White Background
A4              Traveller of Irish Heritage
A5              Gypsy / Roma
B1              White and Black Caribbean
B2              White and Black African
B3              White and Asian
B4              Any Other Mixed Background
C1              Indian
C2              Pakistani
C3              Bangladeshi
C4              Any Other Asian Background
D1              Black Caribbean
D2              Black - African
D3              Any Other Black Background
E1              Chinese
E2              Any Other Ethnic Group
E3              Refused
E4              Information Not Yet Obtained
Disability
Type
NONE            None
MOB             Mobility
HAND            Hand function
PC              Personal care
INC             Incontinence
COMM            Communication
LD              Learning
HEAR            Hearing
VIS             Vision
BEH             Behaviour
CON             Consciousness
AUT             Diagnosed with autism or Asperger's syndrome
DDA             Other DDA

Primary Need codes
N1             Abuse or neglect
N2             Child's disability/illness
N3             Parental disability/illness
N4             Family in acute stress
N5             Family dysfunction
N6             Socially unacceptable behaviour
N7             Low income
N8             Absent parenting
N9             Cases other than Children In Need
N0             Not Stated

Reason for
closure
RC1             Adopted
RC2             Died
RC3             Residence Order
RC4             Special Guardianship Order
RC5             Transferred to services of another LA
RC6             Transferred to adult social services
RC7             Services ceased for any other reason, including child no longer in need

Service Type
Y               Family support (Section 17)
Z               Section 24 ("leaving care") support
A               Adoption support
X               Residence order support
SG              Special guardianship order support
P               Other care and accommodation
D                 Disabled children's services - services usually provided by children's
                  trusts, supported by local authorities and primary care trusts to meet
                  the needs that children with disabilities and their families have by virtue
                  of their disability. This includes social care, education and health
                  provision
AI                Aids and adaptations

Service
provider
PR1               Own provision
PR2               Other Local Authority provision
PR3               Other public provision
PR4               Private provision
PR5               Voluntary/third sector provision

Open Case Status
CLA            Looked After Child
RO             Residence Order - Children living with families which have a residence
               order for the child(ren) in question
SG             Special Guardian - Children living with a guardian appointed by special
               order
TP             Transition Plan - statutory for children with SEN statements. A
               transition plan should be drawn up following the Year 9 annual review
               of a child's statement
CR             Cared for by (i.e.living with) relative - The child is living with a relative
               as defined in Children's Act 1989
PFC            Privately fostered child
YC             Young Carer - Does the child perform any caring tasks (whatsoever)
               that would otherwise need to be performed by social workers,
               clinicians, or other adults? YCs may look after parents, other adults in
               the family or siblings
NCH            Receiving overnight short breaks in the child's home
NKH            Receiving overnight short breaks in the carer's home
NAS            Receiving overnight short breaks at another setting
DCH            Receiving day care short breaks in the child's home
DKH            Receiving day care short breaks in the carer's home
DAS            Receiving day care short breaks at another setting
BF             Receiving day care short breaks: befriending service
CDP            Child receiving direct payments
KDP            Carer receiving direct payments
NON            Open Case - none of the above categories

Category of abuse
NEG             Neglect
PHY             Physical Abuse
SAB             Sexual Abuse
EMO            Emotional Abuse
MUL             Multiple/Not Recommended