My research with Matt Jay @ UCL estimates that 1 in every 4 children receive social services intervention before the age of 18 and the research is here: https://ijpds.org/article/download/2454/6147

Here’s the Guardian article about it.

And here’s a short summary in Community Care

Listen below to the start of a discussion from LBC’s Matt Wright show on 02-02-2025

The findings show:
1 in 3 referred to children’s services (35.4%)
1 in 3 assessed (32.3%)
1 in 4 in need (25.3%)
1 in 14 on a child protection plan (7.1%)

Because a high proportion of children in need are under suspicion of abuse or neglect, we can estimate that across the country:
1 in 5 (19.7%) will come under suspicion of abuse or neglect.

Also, children in the most deprived 10th of the country are 10 times more likely to be in care or on a child protection plan than in the least deprived 10th.