Examining potential inequalities in the outcomes of care experienced children

This project is examining characteristics and care journeys of care-experienced children. Linking to health and education data, it aims to identify whether certain care journeys impact more negatively on outcomes, including lower educational achievement and having poorer mental health, than others.

The project

Care-experienced children either are or have been in some kind of care placement, such as foster care, residential care or kinship care. Children with care experience are often at risk of poorer life outcomes compared to children without care experience. However, we know that many care-experienced children do not have poor outcomes. 

One possible reason for differences in outcomes among care-experienced children is their care journeys. Care journeys vary greatly, for example:  

• when children experience different types of placements

• the number of placements the children may have

• different amounts of time spent in care. 

There is not yet a good understanding of the relationship between these care journeys and outcomes in Scotland. This research should fill this gap.

The data 

This project will use securely linked, anonymised administrative data from organisations in Scotland, including: 

• care data (from the Scottish Government) 

• education data (from the Scottish Government) 

• health data (from Public Health Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service) 

Potential of the project

Linking together these datasets will generate valuable evidence about the relationship between care journeys and health and education outcomes for care-experienced children. This can provide more rounded insights into the differences between care-experienced children, and also how care-experienced children compare to children without care experience. 

The findings have the potential to inform the work of The Promise Scotland and help policymakers and practitioners to understand how to best support care-experienced children and ultimately help to improve children’s lives and outcomes.

Research team

Beth Lee-Shield, a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh,

Professor Morag Treanor and Professor Susan McVie (PhD supervisors)