Children in need census: guide to submitting data
How local authorities should collect data from social care services to complete the annual children in need census.
Applies to England
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
2024 to 2025 census dates:
- census opens: Tuesday 1 April 2025
- deadline for loading data: Monday 30 June 2025
- deadline for submitting data: Thursday 31 July 2025
Submit your data
You’ll need to:
- register and log in with DfE Sign-in
- use COLLECT to submit your data
Contact your school or local authority approver, if:
- you want to request a DfE Sign-in username or password so you can access COLLECT
- ‘children in need census’ is not on the list of collections you can see in COLLECT
Get help using DfE Sign-in
If you do not know who your approver is, use the DfE Sign-in request form.
If you’ve forgotten your password, use DfE Sign-in to reset it. You will need to click ‘Start now’ and then the ‘I’ve forgotten my password’ link.
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.
2024 to 2025 census guides
- census guide
- technical specification and validation rules
- COLLECT guides
- COLLECT reports specifications
2025 to 2026 census guides
Factors identified at the end of assessment
This explains how to complete the factors identified at the end of the assessment data item.
Get help submitting data
For complex questions, use the service request form. We aim to answer your question within 5 working days.
Feedback
Use the service request form if you have any comments about our data collection service, including COLLECT and the helpdesk service.
Updates to this page
Last updated 22 October 2024 + show all updates
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Added links to 2025 to 2026 census guides and removed links to 2023 to 2024 census guides.
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Added a link to the technical specification and validation rules for the 2024 to 2025 children in need census.
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2023 to 2024 census dates and 2024 to 2025 census guides have been added.
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Added link to newly-published technical specification documents for 2023 to 2024 census.
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Added 2023 to 2024 census guides.
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Updated the 2021 to 2022 census dates and added links to the 2022 to 2023 census guides.
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Added a link to the 2021 to 2022 COLLECT reports specifications.
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Updated 'Additional guide on the factors identified at the end of assessment' to improve clarity and give information on the new child criminal exploitation assessment factor.
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Added a link to the 2021 to 2022 census guides, technical specification and validation rules.
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Removed 2019 to 2020 census guides and added 2021 to 2022 census guide.
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2019 to 2020 census dates information updated.
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: the children in need data collection will not open on 1 April.
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Added link to XML generator.
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Added link to 2020 to 2021 technical specification and validation rules.
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Removed 2018 to 2019 census guides and added 2020 to 2021 census guides, census dates and additional guide on the factors identified at the end of the assessment.
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Added link to 2019 to 2020 technical specification and validation rules.
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Updated 'Submit your data section' and DfE Sign-in help links.
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Updated COLLECT link from secure access to DfE sign in.
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Added 'deadline for loading data' dates.
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Added 2019 to 2020 census dates and links to guides, removed 2017 to 2018 census dates and links to guides.
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Changed 2018 census opening date to Tuesday 3 April, due to a bank holiday on Monday 2 April.
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Added link to 2018 to 2019 technical specification and validation rules
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Added deadlines and census guides for 2018 to 2019.
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Added a guide for local authorities on the reports that they can get from COLLECT.
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Added links to new generic COLLECT guides for schools and local authorities.
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Updated census dates for 2016 to 2017 and 2017 to 2018.
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Added links to the 2017 to 2018 guide, specification and validation rules. Added 2017 to 2018 census dates.
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Added a link to the COLLECT guidance for the 2015 to 2016 children in need census.
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Added a link to 'Children in need census 2015 to 2016: COLLECT report specifications'.
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Added a link to the 2016 to 2017 technical specification and validation rules.
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Added information and guidance for the 2016 to 2017 census.
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Added link to 'Children in need census 2014 to 2015: COLLECT reports guide'.
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Added COLLECT guide and XML generator for 2014 to 2015 census.
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Added important dates for the 2015 to 2016 census.
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Added 2015 to 2016 technical guides information.
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First published.