Children at Risk of Poor Outcomes Community Catalyst Stakeholder Consultation Report : Speaking to stakeholders about research priorities

Tranter, Kathryn and Broadhurst, Karen and holmes, lisa and Bailey, Grace and Hargreaves, Dougal and Harron, Katie and Woodman, Jenny and Griffiths, Lucy and Luna, Eliazar (2025) Children at Risk of Poor Outcomes Community Catalyst Stakeholder Consultation Report : Speaking to stakeholders about research priorities. UNSPECIFIED.

Abstract

Overview Children in contact with early intervention services or children’s social care are typically at greater risk of poor social, health and educational outcomes. National and local organisations supporting these children produce a wealth of administrative data as they carry out their services. This data can be used to understand how to reduce these risks and ultimately improve children’s lives. However, not enough researchers are using this data, nor are they consistently addressing the issues most important to policymakers, practitioners, or families. Knowledge is fragmented; there is no clear sense of research gaps or priorities and where evidence exists, it often underused. Given this context, ADR England (part of ADR UK, Administrative Data Research UK) has funded a Community Catalyst to accelerate the use of administrative data and strengthen relationships between researchers undertaking, or aspiring to undertake, research about children involved with children’s social care and partner agencies. This report has been produced as part of work of the ADR England Community Catalyst: Children at Risk of Poor Outcomes. The research team consulted with a range of key stakeholders to explore their perspectives on current priority topics for children’s social care research. Key findings are shared from the consultation completed between February and November 2024. The research team interviewed thirty-seven policy, practice and academic leads across sectors of health, social care, education and justice. This report has informed and is published alongside a new national research agenda, which sets out research priorities regarding children’s social care research.