Children's needs, types and costs of placements and their stability : comparisons using the Cost Calculator for Children's Services

Background and introduction: The Cost Calculator for Children's Services is a computer model formulated within a research programme. The initial study, on the costs and consequences of placing children in care or accommodation, formed part of a national research initiative funded by the Department of Health (and later the Department for Education and Skills) at a time when concerns were being expressed about spiralling costs, different agencies measuring these costs in different ways and pressures on limited resources. The model has now been developed, piloted and made available as a software application for use by social care agencies wishing to gain a better understanding of costs and their relationship to outcomes when children are placed in care or accommodation. It offers a variety of reports that allow users to carry out many different analyses

Exploration of the costs and impact of the Common Assessment Framework: interim report

Exploration of the costs and impact of the Common Assessment Framework: interim repor

Cost calculator for children's services: report on the pilot phase

The Cost Calculator is a computer application currently being developed by the Centre for Child and Family Research, Loughborough University as a practical tool that has the potential to introduce greater transparency into the relationship between costs and outcomes of services for vulnerable children. Although there are plans to develop the model at a later date to encompass a wider population of children and a more extensive range of services, the current version is restricted to the costs of social care processes for looked after children

Valuing changes in welfare to individuals and society resulting from the government's provision of children's social services in England: final report

Measurement for National Accounts purposes of the output attributable to government-provided services requires a different approach from that used for private sector goods and services. Public services, including Children’s Social Services (CSS), are mostly supplied free of charge and therefore there are no market prices by which their value can be measured. To advance the methodologies used in the measurement of government output, an independent review led by Professor Sir Tony Atkinson was set up. Its recommendations for the measurement of government output, productivity and associated price indices are set out in the Atkinson Review: Final Report (2005). Overall the Review’s recommended approach is to directly measure output using indicators that capture the full range of public services provided. In addition, ideally, these indicators should measure the incremental impact of these services on client outcomes. As part of a move towards implementing this approach for CSS output, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) commissioned this study to explore how one might measure the contribution that CSS activities make to the welfare of service users and society more generally. The study’s remit was to advise on how the recommendations of the Atkinson review might be implemented, and on any improvements to data collections that might be required. Indicators to represent the various categories of CSS interventions were to be identified and combined into a single annual index. The study’s aim was therefore highly challenging: to recommend a methodology for producing a robust annual output measure that fully reflects the change in welfare to individuals and society from CSS provision. This final report presents the overall findings of the study. It sets out principles to be followed in the measurement of CSS output and specific recommendations for changes. The conclusions from the first stage of this study, which are reported in detail in the Interim Report, are summarised in paragraphs 1.8 to 1.12 below

Exploration of the costs and impact of the Common Assessment Framework

Exploration of the costs and impact of the Common Assessment Framewor

Evaluation of the impact of Action for Children short breaks services on outcomes for children: final report

This report examines the findings of a study commissioned by Action for Children to explore the impact that their short break services have on disabled children and their families. The study began in August 2010 and an Interim Report was published in September 2010 (Holmes, McDermid, Soper and Lawson, 2010). Phase two of this study was conducted during a period which could be described as a time of substantive economic and political change within children‟s services. This report aims to explore the impact of Action for Children short breaks services on disabled children and their families within this context and seeks to provide an evidence base for the future provision of Action for Children services to disabled children and their families. The study also seeks to examine how good Action for Children are at communicating with different agencies to inform the setting of outcomes within their short break services, and how this improves outcomes for the children and to provide a brief cost analysis for these services

The evaluation of arrangements for effective operation of the new Local Safeguarding Children Boards in England – final report

The evaluation of arrangements for effective operation of the new Local Safeguarding Children Boards in England – final repor