How research can help you get it right for every child

Emma Scowcroft Policy Manager

Action for Children

The importance of building a rich evidence base

Imperative of evidencing our impact:• Feedback and testimony• Case file analysis• Inspections• Research• Evaluations• Cost benefit analysis and SROI

What research can tell us

• Outcomes data: children, young people, families and communities 

• Cost benefit analysis 

• Value as service providers

• Understanding need 

• Service reach

Return on investment

• voluntary organisations are being asked to provide an element of cost benefit analysis

• SROI is one method• Action for Children has invested

in this method of research • Backing the future

http://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/content/561/Backing-the-future

The social and economic value of short breaks

A research collaboration between Action for Children, the

Every Disabled Child Matters Campaign (EDCM) and

delivered by nef consulting

Why did we undertake this research?

We Identified a gap in our knowledgebase –

We had no macro level understanding of the

savings the short breaks element of Aiming High

For Disabled Children (AHDC) Programme could

make for the state

How we did it

• Understood the role of short breaks • Understood the theory of change behind Aiming High for

Disabled Children• Understood our limitations:

– Data– Outcomes evidence

• Understood the importance of being transparent

Finally, we didn’t over claim

Research findings

• significant savings could be made to the State if short breaks were provided to all the families with disabled children who need them

• the failure to support these families in the long term would result in substantial additional costs to the State

The figures

The State could make an estimated annual saving of £174 Million if short breaks were effectively delivered to all those eligible to receive them.

• decreased cost of long-term residential care from reductions in the number of disabled children placed outside of the family home: £135 million

• decreased cost to health services from reduction in parents’, families’ and carers’ stress: £18 million

• decreased cost to schools of educating siblings with behavioural and emotional difficulties: £21 million

this is just the tip of the iceberg …

What the research did and didn’t prove

This research did – produce an estimated figure of

what the savings to the state would be if short break

services were transformed under AHDC

This research did - provide us with baseline

information we can use for future work

This research did not – evidence the outcomes of

short break services

Taking the research forward

Action for Children and EDCM formed the following

recommendations

• The Government should include sustained funding for the Aiming High for Disabled Children programme in its spending plans for 2011/12–2013/14.

• The Government should develop a policy framework for improving services for disabled children and their families through the second phase of Aiming High for Disabled Children in 2011/12–2013/14.

Results in the external world

So far, this work has been welcomed by

HM Treasury, MPs and by services in local

budget negotiations

Next Steps.. Working with the new

Government and Comprehensive

Spending Review

for Scotland’s Disabled Children (fSDC) is a campaign coalition of Scottish disability organisations and parents

and families with a disabled child.

fSDC was established in 2007 to secure rights and justice for disabled children, young people and their

families in Scotland.

The aim is to translate good intentions into better lives.

Aims:

• harnessing families’ experiences to deliver longlasting change for future generations

• challenging the system and service culture to meet disabled children’s needs, flexibly and consistently

• enabling good practice to flourish at national and local levels

• to “drive forward change”

fSDC Liaison Project(or the bridge to take us from good intentions to better lives)

About the baseline research review

• to create a map of Scotland

• generating Scotland wide intelligence about disabled children’s service

• a starting point, especially for the Scottish Government’s fundamental strategic review

• unique project – as far as we know!

About the baseline research review

• to gather together data, statistics and information to provide a baseline picture of disabled children’s services in Scotland, broken down by local authority/health board area

• to publish collated data in a report and publicise same to the appropriate audience of stakeholders, policy makers and decision makers

3 themes:

• How– through strategies, plans, configuration of services,

structures

• Who– staff, disabled children and young people, families

• What– services, resources, money!

4 key issues:

• Short breaks– More provision, better quality

• Transition– More and better support

• Childcare– More affordable and appropriate, better quality

• Education– Improved opportunities and outcomes

3 approaches:

• Desk research– strategies, plans, frameworks, procedures,

existing research, Scottish Government data

• Coalition members– services, staffing, resources

• Interviews– survey, follow up telephone calls, emails

Purpose:

• Yes, producing inputs and outputs but to show us where to look for positive outcomes

• First step in challenging culture and systems• How can good practice flourish if we don’t where it

is?• How can we change if we don’t know the extent of

the need to change?

Early findings/thoughts:

• We are proud of our local differences!• Need a more consistent approach and timeline to

planning and strategic review• Lots of data/evidence out there but is it leading to

an evidence based policy and practice approach?• Do we know what works and why it works?• Historic cost budgeting – time for a different

approach?• Are we being fair to professionals and

practitioners?

Outcomes:

• 14 of 32 SOAs have NO local outcomes relating to disability

• 17 of 32 SOAs have NO local indicator relating to disability• Only a handful have local indicators specific to disabled

children and their families• 3 SOAs with indicators relating to respite care• 1 SOA on increasing direct payments• 3 SOAs on increasing/improving community based

services• 4 SOAs have indicators relating to assessments, including

reducing waiting lists and improving timeline between assessment and service offer/provision

Driver:

“There is no new money, but we can spend existing money more effectively”

…………… And deliver better lives!

Workshop:

• Share your research/evidence• What would you like to know the social and

economic value of• Other topics for the baseline review• How you might use research and evidence to

inform service design, planning, delivery and outcomes

• How will you evaluate GIRFEC?

• Kate Higgins, Policy Managerkate.higgins@cafamily.org.uk 0131 659 2938

• www.fsdc.org.uk

• www.facebook.com/forscotlandsdisabledchildren