THE number of "at risk" children in a Teesside authority has fallen, according to social services figures.
There were 115 children on Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's child protection register during the quarter ending on June 30, compared with 126 for the previous quarter.
Also down were the number of referrals to social services due to physical injury, which fell from 106 to 70.
The highest number of children in need of protection were found to be under four, with 18 being registered for physical injury, 23 for neglect, four for sexual abuse, and four for neglect and physical injury.
An area of concern identified in the figures was a decrease in the number of parents attending child protection conferences, aimed at involving them in children's welfare.
John Farries, the director of Redcar and Cleveland social services, predicted that government schemes would mean even fewer children being placed at risk.
He said: "Initiatives such as Sure Start will hopefully enable multi agencies to focus on preventative initiatives."
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