Guidance

Children in need census 2026 to 2027: guide

Guide for local authorities submitting children in need census 2026 to 2027 returns.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This guide is for local authorities preparing a children in need census 2026 to 2027 return.

It includes information on:

  • submission deadlines
  • validation checks
  • year-on-year checks
  • data modules

Updates to this page

Published 18 November 2025
Last updated 30 December 2025 href="#full-history">+ show all updates
  1. Updated the children in need census 2026 to 2027 guide. The document's version history describes the changes.

  2. First published.

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