How do local authorities balance family help and the protection of children? What evidence informs risk‑aware and proportionate decision‑making in practice?
Background
Children’s outcomes are strongly shaped by the love, stability and support provided by their family and wider family networks or in their care placement. Our research interest in this area focuses on understanding the following:
-what enables effective and timely family help, in order to keep children and young people with their families wherever possible
-how safe, loving and stable relationships are sustained for children and young people known to children’s social care
-what contributes to children and young people entering into or moving within the care system.
Next steps
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Topics
Related UKRI funded projects
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Comparing health outcomes for care experienced children and children in the general population in Scotland using linked administrative data
Children who are in the care of their local authority (care experienced children, CEC) are one of the most vulnerable groups of people in the society. In 2017 approximately 15,000 children in Scotland were visited by soc...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: University of Glasgow
Why might this be relevant?
This project directly addresses the question by examining health outcomes for care experienced children in Scotland and comparing them to the general population.
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Looked-after children in Wales: An analysis of the backgrounds of children entering public care
The doctoral research around which my fellowship is centred explored the differences between local authorities in Wales in the rates at which they place children in out of home care, referred to as being a 'looked after'...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: CARDIFF UNIVERSITY
Why might this be relevant?
While this project focuses on looked-after children in Wales, it provides insights into social work practices and rates of children in care, which can partially inform the question.
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Transformative children's social care (Resilience Fund)
Coronavirus has reduced access to already scarce resources in children's mental health and social care. The most vulnerable children in the UK are more isolated than ever, and foster/residential carers and adoptive paren...
Funded by: Innovate UK
Lead research organisation: BERRI LIMITED
Why might this be relevant?
This project offers a transformative suite of psychological screening and support products for vulnerable children, which can partially address the question of balancing family help and child protection.