Calling local champions: help us build the evidence needed to tackle domestic abuse

As Foundations publishes its ambitious new five year plan to find out what works to prevent domestic abuse and support child victims, Ben Lewing, Assistant Director for Local Development reflects on why this matters. How we respond to victims of domestic abuse and protect our children from its effects feels like a defining issue for […]

The REACH Plan: Going further than ever before to prevent domestic abuse & support child victims

Our Chief Executive, Jo Casebourne, unpacks our ambitious five-year plan to find out what works to protect child victims of domestic abuse, and to transform domestic abuse services. The impact that domestic abuse has on children is one of the most pressing social issues and needs urgent attention. We estimate that this year, 827,000 children […]

Holding our nerve: what the Sure Start findings tell us about how to deliver effective early intervention

Donna Molloy, Deputy Chief Executive, unpacks findings published today by Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), showing the short and medium-term impacts of Sure Start on children’s educational outcomes – and what we should learn from this when working with the next government to ensure children receive targeted, evidence-based early intervention. We have known for a […]

Changemakers: supporting local leaders to bridge the gap between evidence & practice 

Assistant Director of Local Development, Ben Lewing, introduces our new ‘Changemakers’ programme – in partnership with the Youth Endowment Fund – outlining how we will be working to close the stubborn gap between what we know works to support children and families and making this support available on the ground through local evidence leadership. It […]

Improving the wellbeing of unaccompanied children seeking asylum: the importance of tailored, evidence-based support

Following the publication of our evaluation of the Refugee Council’s My View Children’s Therapy, a specialised therapeutic service for unaccompanied children seeking asylum, our Chief Executive Dr Jo Casebourne reflects on the distinct challenges faced by this group of children and the need to invest in evidence-based support. In March 2023, over 7,000 unaccompanied children […]

For the NHS, data saves lives, in the children’s sector, data is an afterthought

Is data the first thing you think of when you consider how to transform the lives of the most vulnerable children and families in the country? It might not be. Data is often sidelined because we think data is simply numbers, facts and depersonalised information that is difficult to access and interpret. But good quality […]

Guidance for the sector on evidence-based working: the National Framework and Practice Guides 

Following the Department for Education’s publication of the new Children’s Social Care National Framework, our Deputy Chief Executive Donna Molloy explains how we are working to support the Framework through the creation of evidence-based Practice Guides for leaders and decision makers.  Last week, the Department for Education published the Children’s Social Care National Framework, an important […]

Championing Kinship Carers: Moving towards evidence-based support for kinship families

Following today’s publication of the Department for Education’s national Kinship Strategy, our Deputy Chief Executive Donna Molloy shares her reflections on the strategy and outlines our plans to help build the evidence base around kinship care. Today’s launch of the Department for Education’s first national Kinship Strategy is an important acknowledgement and celebration of the […]

Reflecting on Foundations’ first year

As we reach the one year anniversary of the creation of Foundations, formed through the merger of What Works for Children’s Social Care and the Early Intervention Foundation, Chief Executive, Dr Jo Casebourne, reflects on our achievements from our first year and the exciting progress we have made toward delivering our strategy.  It’s almost exactly a […]

Why investing in parenting support is crucial to eradicating the disadvantage gap

Foundations Deputy Chief Executive Donna Molloy explains why investing in parenting support offers a way to eradicate the disadvantage gap and should be a focus for whichever party is next in government. As party conference season comes to an end, we’ve been thinking about the disadvantage gap – and what whichever party is in government […]