New insights to shape research for children at risk of poor outcomes

This project aims to build a community of researchers and analysts focused on children and young people supported by early intervention services or children’s social care in the UK. The reports mark an important milestone, equipping this community with tools to address critical knowledge gaps using de-identified administrative data:

  • Scoping review report: Analyses existing administrative data research on children’s statutory social care services, identifying strengths, gaps, and opportunities.
  • Summary report: Provides an accessible overview of the full report, including information on frequently used datasets, recurring themes, and evidence gaps.
  • Stakeholder priorities report: Gathers insights from practitioners, policymakers, and academics across the UK, highlighting pressing research topics and data access challenges.
  • Research agenda: Outlines recommendations for addressing urgent research priorities, based on the scoping review and stakeholder report, and guides future collaboration and funding.

“These reports are a step forward in shaping a shared understanding of research priorities and addressing the most pressing questions about children’s social care.” - Lucy Griffiths, Professor of Paediatric Epidemiology at Population Data Science at Swansea University and project co-lead

"I am delighted to see these reports published, providing a clear steer for the research community, regarding evidence priorities. Looking ahead, it is important that research on children in care, is complemented by a greater focus on earlier intervention to prevent family breakdown." - Professor Karen Broadhurst, Co-Director of the Centre for Child and Family Justice Research at Lancaster University and project co-lead

Find out more about the project on a new community page on our Learning Hub:

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