Longitudinal research in England and Wales has identified increasing inequality in child welfare interventions, particularly with respect to children in the poorest areas coming into care. Although previous cross-sectional research has shown associations between area level deprivation and child welfare interventions to be weakest in Northern Ireland (NI), it remains unknown if this reflects wider trends over time. This study uses longitudinal administrative data to investigate the relationship between area level deprivation and the (1) referral, (2) investigation, (3) registration and (4) looked after stages of children’s contact with child and family social work from 2010 to 2017 (stages 1–3) and 2020 (stage 4). Both relative and absolute measures of inequality (Ratio of Inequality, Slope Index of Inequality and Relative Index of Inequality) were calculated to examine trends. The results highlight a clear and increasing social gradient in child welfare interventions in NI over time, particularly at the higher levels of intervention and those involving children aged 0–4 years. Routine analysis of children’s social care caseloads by deprivation is highlighted as a means of focusing attention on poverty and material inequality, prompting practitioners, managers and policy makers to consider the drivers of such inequality and how this might be addressed.

中文翻译：

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北爱尔兰儿童福利不平等的变化趋势

英格兰和威尔士的纵向研究发现，儿童福利干预措施中的不平等日益加剧，特别是在最贫困地区接受照料的儿童方面。尽管之前的横断面研究表明北爱尔兰 (NI) 地区贫困与儿童福利干预措施之间的关联最弱，但仍不清楚这是否反映了随着时间的推移更广泛的趋势。本研究使用纵向行政数据来调查2010年至2017年儿童接触儿童和家庭社会工作的（1）转介、（2）调查、（3）登记和（4）照顾阶段之间的关系。 （第 1-3 阶段）和 2020 年（第 4 阶段）。计算不平等的相对和绝对指标（不平等比率、不平等斜率指数和不平等相对指数）以检查趋势。结果表明，随着时间的推移，NI 儿童福利干预措施存在明显且不断增加的社会梯度，特别是在较高水平的干预措施和涉及 0-4 岁儿童的干预措施中。强调对贫困儿童社会关怀案例进行常规分析，作为关注贫困和物质不平等的一种手段，促使从业者、管理者和政策制定者考虑这种不平等的驱动因素以及如何解决这一问题。