Research

The Centre for Research on the Child and Family has been influential in building a robust base of evidence for the improvement of services for children and families in the UK and similar economies. Its research ranges from studies of universal and community located services, like school breakfast clubs, to a special focus on developmental needs and services for vulnerable children.

Our work in children's services and children's wellbeing synthesises approaches from social work, social policy and developmental psychology. We have a number of active research areas within this research theme, including:

Children at risk

Within this strand our work investigates the complex links between maltreatment, attachment, development and intervention, our understanding of processes and outcomes for children at risk and the unequal distribution of power between service users, social workers and managers

Pathways in health and social care

This work includes the management of boundaries and power in care systems, the socio-legal study of inter-professional relationships when working together to safeguard children, and tracking pathways to care in the UK and elsewhere.

Family placement, fostering and adoption

Research in this area has concentrated on mapping new developments in foster care, the search for stability and permanence for fostered children, and new approaches to the psychology and practice of child placement. Work in this strand has also focused on contact and support services for children and birth relatives after adoption and adoption reunion in adult life.

Recent funded work includes:

  • a major DfES commission to evaluate Children's Trusts Pathfinders (a key Every Child Matters pilot initiative)
  • a series of linked and in-depth projects on community-based services that have informed policy and practice, including evaluations of the work of Sure Start, Children's Fund and family centres
  • a high profile Nuffield-funded research synthesis on services to families of minority ethnic origin which has identified innovative and community based interventions
  • a DfES evaluation of the Common Assessment Framework and the work of ‘lead professionals', two further central Every Child Matters pilot initiatives. The national roll-out of both was influenced by Brandon's findings.

Members

Dr Chris Beckett, Dr Marian Brandon, Jeannette Cossar, Dr Jonathan Dickens, Jane Dodsworth, Dr Elsbeth Neil, Professor Margaret O'Brien, Professor Gillian Schofield, Dr Clive Sellick, Nigel Stone, Dr Judi Walsh.