Prevention and family support: How can linked administrative data be used to identify patterns of unmet service need among families who later experience involvement with the care system (for example across child protection, health, education, housing, or justice), and what does this evidence suggest about the types and timing of targeted support most likely to prevent escalation to care?
Background
Scotland’s ambition is for children to be supported to stay within their families wherever it is safe and possible to do so. The overall number of children entering care each year in Scotland is falling, and proportionally more children who do become looked after are living with kinship carers, and fewer are remaining with their parents. These national‑level trends help to understand what is happening, but not how this is being achieved, or the impact on families. To answer that second question, we need better evidence to provide context to national statistics: on the factors that influence whether families can stay together; the support available locally; and the conditions that enable early, preventative help rather than crisis‑driven intervention. Here, prevention is understood primarily in relation to children at risk of entering care and their families, focusing on how earlier identification of unmet need, timely support, and system responses may reduce avoidable escalation to compulsory care.
Next steps
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Source
This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:
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 using linked administrative data to identify patterns of unmet service need among care experienced children in Scotland.
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Home or care? Pathways and outcomes for maltreated children in a multi-ethnic cohort
It is widely considered that outcomes for 'looked after' children (children in care) are generally poor. Research has pointed to poor education outcomes, high rates of mental health problems, disproportionate involvement...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: University of York
Why might this be relevant?
While this project focuses on outcomes for maltreated children in care, it partially addresses the question by examining the impact of being in care on children with similar backgrounds.
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Family inclusive policy and practice after 'Think Family'
Although there is a long history of social work and other practitioners involving wider family in trying to resolve difficulties faced by particular family members, the evidence base to support this activity has been rel...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: University of Birmingham
Why might this be relevant?
This project explores family inclusive policy and practice, which is relevant to understanding the support available to families to prevent escalation to care.