Exploring costs and outcomes

Research in this area investigates the theoretical and empirical relationship between the costs and outcomes of providing services for children in need.

It aims to provide social services and other agencies with practical support to explore how scarce resources can be better deployed to deliver care that will secure better outcomes.

Currently the main programme in this area focuses on developing and implementing the Cost Calculator for Children’s Services and the costing methodology that underpins this.

Current projects

• The Cost Calculator for Children’s Services
  
  
• The costs and outcomes of child welfare interventions: extending the Cost Calculator to include cost calculations for all children in need
  
  
• Extending the Cost Calculator to include cost calculations for education: implementation in Coventry
  
  
• Extending the Cost Calculator to include cost calculations for health and mental health: implementation in Cheshire
  
  
• Implementing the Cost Calculator in the North East regional local authorities
  
  
• Comparative costs of multidimensional treatment foster care
  

Completed projects

• Development of definitions of LA services and guidance for the new Children in Need census
  
  
• Costs and consequences of different types of child care provision
  
  
• The Cost Calculator pilot phase
  
  
• Valuing changes in welfare to individuals and society resulting from the government's provision of children's social services in England