The Local Government Association (LGA), an association of councils in England and Wales, has revealed that the number of children referred to children’s social care services or support fell by almost a fifth during lockdown. The figures show that: children’s social care teams received 41,190 fewer referrals between April and June 2020, around 18% lower compared with the same period in each of the last three years; and 1,640 children started to be looked after as a result of these referrals during the same period, a third lower compared with the same period over each of the last three years.