Child wellbeing - % of children reviewed at 27-30 months with no concerns recorded (c10)

• This measures the proportion of all children receiving a 27-30 month review that had no concerns across all of the nine developmental domains (i.e. social, emotional, behavioural, attention, speech language and communication, gross motor skills (large body movements), fine motor skills (small muscle movements and hand-eye co-ordination), vision, and hearing.
• During a child’s 27-30 month review, a health professional (normally a health visitor) assesses a child’s developmental status and records the outcome (e.g. no concern, concern newly suspected as a result of the review, or concern or disorder already known prior to the review) against each of the nine developmental domains.
• All available records for children turning 27 months in the period are included in the assessment as long as a review takes place before a child turns 3 years. 

Why this matters

• Measuring the proportion of children with no concerns at their 27-30 month review shows how well children are being supported at a critical developmental stage, as strong early progress provides the foundation for future learning, employment, and wellbeing.
• The 27-30 month review captures a crucial stage in a child’s growth, including speech and language, social skills, physical development, and emotional wellbeing.  Strong early development is linked to better educational outcomes, stronger family stability, and fairer life chances throughout childhood and beyond.

Latest performance

% of children reviewed at 27-30 months with no concerns recorded

% of children reviewed at 27-30 months with at least one concern recorded

How North Lanarkshire has performed

Latest results show 81.8% of children in North Lanarkshire have no concerns in any developmental domain at their 27-30 month review. 

• The latest results for North Lanarkshire (81.8%) are an improvement from the previous year (79.6%) in terms of the number of children who have no concerns in any developmental domain (Figure 10a).
• The trend in the proportion of children with no concerns in any domain remains less than the highest level recorded in 2017/18 (83.7%), but higher than The Plan for North Lanarkshire baseline of 81%.
• Along with the improvement in the proportion of no concerns recorded, there is a corresponding decrease in the proportion where one or more concerns have been recorded which is a positive movement.
• Figure 10b shows where one or more concerns have been recorded - this has decreased to 18.2% in the latest results from 20.4% the previous year. 

North Lanarkshire’s results for both indicators show a positive improving position that mirrors the trend in both the national average and the comparative average for the group of similar councils.

Figure 10a and Figure 10b also show that North Lanarkshire is performing better than the comparative average for the group of similar councils (81.8% and 18.2% compared to 79.8% and 20.5% respectively).

This indicator records the average number of concerns identified at case conferences / planning meetings of children who are on the child protection register.  The pandemic led to changes in how reviews were delivered as well as the circumstances of daily life for many children in 2020/21 and 2021/22. As such, factors related to assessment, recording, and genuine changes in developmental issues may have impacted on the data for these years.

Impact of delivering The Plan for North Lanarkshire

Improvements in this indicator means that more children are developing well at the 27-30 months review point.  It means they are more likely to start nursery and school ready to learn, giving them a stronger platform for good educational outcomes.  This early readiness increases the likelihood of progressing into positive destinations such as training, employment, and productive adulthood, contributing to a more skilled and resilient future workforce.

Strong early development also supports a families’ ability to participate in the local economy. When children are healthy, confident, and meeting developmental milestones, parents face fewer childcare challenges, fewer health appointments, and less stress. This reduces barriers to employment and training, enabling more parents - particularly mothers and carers - to enter or remain in work.