Almost 280  children in care injured last year

In residential care, there were 137 incidents involving children where first aid was required, including the case of child abuse.

There were 278 incidents in which a child in care was injured last year, led by 172 cases in which the young person harmed themselves, while there was also one incident of child abuse at a residential centre.

The data, released by the Child and Family Agency under Freedom of Information, also shows that one child in foster care was recorded as wrongful exposure to a traumatic event – in that case, the child witnessing a domestic violence incident. The figures also show two cases of Covid-19 in residential care and 12 cases of the virus in foster care settings.