Costs and outcomes - research on children in need: research summaries
The 14 summaries here reflect the studies of each research team working on the Costs and Outcomes series. They provide an outline of the research question, the research design and the main findings from each study. Contact details are given at the end of each summary.
Research summaries
1. The
Oxfordshire Home Visiting Study
This three-year, controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of an intensive
home visiting programme for vulnerable women, starting during
pregnancy. Home visits in this early0 intervention
programme were made by specially trained health visitors over the 18
months beginning from the second trimester of pregnancy.
2. Child
Care Costs: Variations and Unit Costs
This study used data from the 2001 Children in Need Survey to explore
the reasons for the variation in child social care costs between
different areas. It also aimed to make better estimates of unit
costs for children in care. This research informs policy and practice at
local and national level.
3. Costs
and Consequences of Services for Troubled Adolescents
This study focused on the experiences of groups of adolescents who are
difficult to manage and living away from home, in particular those in
children's residential homes, foster homes and residential special schools
for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The aim was to learn
more about the comparative populations in these three settings, the nature of
the services, the costs of services and the consequences for the young people
involved.
4. The
Costs and Effectiveness of Adolescent Support Teams
Support teams for adolescents typically offer an intensive, short-term
preventative service which aims to divert adolescents from care. This
study examined the effectiveness of specialist teams working with young
people in families at imminent risk breakdown.
5. Outcomes
and Costs of Therapeutic Family Support Services for Vulnerable Families with
Young Children
This study evaluated the costs and effectiveness of therapeutic family
support services provided to high-risk families with children in need aged 12
and under. Research was conducted with a sample of family support
services, looking into what works, for whom, and at what cost.
6. The
Assessment Framework: A Structured Approach to Assessing Family Capacities and
Children's Needs
The assessment framework for children in need was developed to ensure that
assessments of these children focused on their developmental needs.
It also looked into the parental capacity to respond to those needs within the
context of the wider family and environment. The study aimed to explore the
implementation of the assessment framework and the accompanying assessment
records. It looks at its impact on professional practice, the costs of
assessments, and the experiences of children and families.
7. Young
People Leaving Care: A study of Costs and Outcomes
This study explored outcomes and service costs for a sample of 106 young
people leaving care, in seven local authorities. The recruitment of this
sample started in October 2001, coinciding with
the implementation of the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000. The study
sought to answer questions around successful transition, looking
into the variety of support services that help young
people to achieve positive outcomes. It also considered the costs of
these services and the way that such services are changing.
8. Leadership
and Resources in Children's Homes
This study set out to develop an understanding of the longer-term
effectiveness of children's homes. It also looks at the key
issues of costs and the residential environment. It aimed to describe the
practices of staff and to assess the impact on the staff
group. It considers the quality of the residential environment and
changes in the residents. It also assess the extent to which these
findings are applicable to practice.
9. Meeting
the Mental Health Needs of Children in the Child Protection System
The research findings here are based on a study of three contrasting local
authorities in England. The study, with fieldwork undertaken between 2002 and
2004 explored the mental health needs of children in the child protection
system. It also looks at how social services departments identified and
responded to these needs, and the costs involved.
10. Remuneration
and Performance in Foster Care
This study explored the relationship between remuneration and other resources
available to foster carers and the performance of fostering services. The
project was run in two stages. First, a national analysis sought to
explore the relationship between expenditure and performance at macro level.
Second, a more in-depth investigation was carried out in selected
fostering agencies.
11. The
Outcomes and Costs of Home-Start Support for Young Families under
Stress
Supporting parents is central to the government's current approach to
improving children's lives. However, little is known about the
effectiveness or cost-effectiveness of family support services. This study
evaluates the outcomes and costs of Home-Start support to 80 young families
under stress, compared with 82 similar families who did not receive this kind
of support.
12. Cost-effectiveness
of Individual versus Group Psychotherapy for Sexually Abused Girls
The study compared the costs of individual and group psychotherapy for
girls who have been sexually abused.
13. Costs
and Outcomes of Non-Infant Adoptions
This study had three main aims:
i) examine why some children were more easily adopted than others
ii) estimate the unit costs for adoption
iii) consider the support needs of those adopting older more challenging
children
14. Costs
and Consequences of Different Types of Care Provision for Children
The purpose of the study was to explore how variations in the costs of placing
children in the care of local authorities could be better understood. The
authors undertook a prospective longitudinal study, designed to explore both
quantitative and qualitative data concerning the background, needs and
experiences of a population of 600 children looked after by three matched pairs
of local authorities.
Click to go to the Research in Practice website or to read more about costs and outcomes on this website.
This page was last updated on 05 January 2007
