Screen, Ration and Churn: Demand Management and the Crisis in Children’s Social Care

Hood, Rick; Goldacre, Allie; Gorin, Sarah; Bywaters, Paul

doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcz035

Cited by 16 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The rise in the number of children affected by ASD comes at a time when health and social care budgets are severely curtailed in many countries and access to trained personnel has to be rationed (Hood et al 2019). As a consequence, increased attention has been paid to the potential that family-mediated interventions can make with children experiencing developmental difficulties (Althoff et al 2019).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of a Brief Home-Based Intervention on Families with a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Mullan¹,

Boyd²,

McConkey

2020

J Dev Phys Disabil

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A brief intervention is described and evaluated that aimed to build and strengthen relationships for families of children diagnosed with ASD aged 12 and under. A particular focus was on socially disadvantaged parents. Parents were offered around five home visits which took place on weekdays during working hours; each lasting around 90 min. They were given individualised practical tools and support to manage their children’s behaviours alongside providing a listening ear to parents’ concerns. In all, 456 children and 427 families participated over a four-year period with a take-up rate of 87% of all referrals. The drop-out rate was low (4.5%) as was the proportion of missed and cancelled appointments. Parents’ satisfaction ratings were high and most found the number of sessions provided was ‘just right’. Children improved in their personal care, had less difficulty with change, showed less anger and had fewer meltdowns. Parents reported being less stressed, not feeling so down and managing their child better. The evaluations suggested that a brief home-based intervention is a viable and effective means of providing personalized, post-diagnostic support to parents at periodic intervals, although socially disadvantaged families may require additional assistance beyond managing their child’s ASD. The project also highlighted broader issues that impede effective support for families.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of a Brief Home-Based Intervention on Families with a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Mullan¹,

Boyd²,

McConkey

2020

J Dev Phys Disabil

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“…This is because the designation of 'child in need' status or the implementation of a child protection plan itself depends on the capacity and resourcing of local children's services. Where resources are scarce, it is well documented that thresholds for Section 17 (child in need) and Section 47 (child protection plan) interventions are increased [37][38][39] and, as such, some children who would be classed as 'in need' or placed on a child protection plan in a year with greater resources would not be in a year with fewer resources. This makes rates of these interventions an inappropriate way to try and identify funding equitability.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

More Money, More Problems? Addressing the Funding Conditions Required for Rights-Based Child Welfare Services in England

Webb

2022

Societies

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Policymakers and academics continue to debate the criteria used in formulas to allocate funding to children’s services, but few studies have considered how well the results of these formulas align with rights-based entitlements and commitments after implementation. This research measured correspondence between local authority spending per child and levels of income deprivation, special educational needs, and child development from 2011–2019 to assess the extent to which funding matches local authorities’ statutory responsibilities to provide support to children ‘in need’ under the Children Act 1989. There was weak and worsening correspondence between funding and needs, especially for preventative services.

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“…Despite the existence of detailed guidance for statutory data returns, there is often substantial variation in data recording within and across LAs. More significantly, thresholds for intervention (and therefore, recording and reporting) change over time in response to changes in budgets (Hood et al , 2020) or increases in demand at the “front door” (Broadhurst et al , 2010). A CiN in one year in one authority might not be classed as one in another time or place.…”

Section: The Data Considerations Identified Across These Two Evaluationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Considerations in the use of local and national data for evaluating innovation in children’s social care

Preston

Godar

Lefevre

et al. 2021

JCS

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Purpose This paper aims to explore the possibilities in using such national, statutory data sets for evaluating change and the challenges of understanding service patterns and outcomes in complex cases when only a limited view can be gained using existing data. The discussion also explores how methodologies can adapt to an evaluation in these circumstances. Design/methodology/approach This paper examines the use of data routinely collected by local authorities (LAs) as part of the evaluation of innovation. Issues entailed are discussed and illustrated through two case studies of evaluations conducted by the research team within the context of children’s social care in England. Findings The quantitative analysis of LA data can play an important role in evaluating innovation but researchers will need to address challenges related to: selection of a suitable methodology; identifying appropriate comparator data; accessing data and assessing its quality; and sustaining and increasing the value of analytic work beyond the end of the research. Examples are provided of how the two case studies experienced and addressed these challenges. Research limitations/implications • Quasi-experimental methods can be beneficial tools for understanding the impact of innovation in children’s services, but researchers should also consider the complexity of children’s social care and the use of mixed and appropriate methods. • Those funding innovative practice should consider the additional burden on those working with data and the related data infrastructure if wishing to document and analyse innovation in a robust way. • Data, which may be assumed to be uniform may in fact not be when considered at a multi-area or national level, and further study of the data recording practice of social care professionals is required. Originality/value The paper discusses some common issues experienced in quasi-experimental approaches to the quantitative evaluation of children’s services, which have, until recently, been rarely used in the sector. There are important considerations, which are of relevance to researchers, service leads in children’s social care, data and performance leads and funders of innovation.

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Screen, Ration and Churn: Demand Management and the Crisis in Children’s Social Care

Cited by 16 publications

References 16 publications

The Impact of a Brief Home-Based Intervention on Families with a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The Impact of a Brief Home-Based Intervention on Families with a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

More Money, More Problems? Addressing the Funding Conditions Required for Rights-Based Child Welfare Services in England

Considerations in the use of local and national data for evaluating innovation in children’s social care

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