Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families

A Foundations branded graphic that reads: Join the team. Evidence and Evaluation Officer. £46,125, plus generous benefits. 12 month fixed term contract. Closes: 23:59, Monday 25 August 2025. foundations.org.uk/join-our-team

WE'RE HIRING 💼 We're looking for an Evidence and Evaluation Officer with strong research skills to help us generate and synthesise evidence on what works for children & families.

Closes: 23:59, Monday 25 August

Find out more & apply: foundations.org.uk/about-us/joi...

A Foundations branded quote card from Dr Ema Howarth, Associate Professor in Child and Family Mental Health, University of Sussex: "Services providing support to children and families who have experienced domestic abuse are underfunded and under resourced. Key to changing this is supporting the sector and its partners to generate high quality and consistent evidence about what works, for whom, and in what circumstances. The core outcome set represents an important step towards improving the quality of evidence but also in making sure that the ways in which we measure success captures the things that matter most to people.

Services supporting children who have experienced #DomesticAbuse are vital. Our new research helps us to measure success in a way which captures the things that matter most to those involved.

💬 Dr Emma Howarth on the value of the core outcome set.

foundations.org.uk/our-work/pub...

A Foundations branded quote card from Director of Evidence Dr Aoife O'Higgins: "Identifying how to measure core outcomes is a crucial milestone in our efforts to build a strong evidence base on interventions for children and young people who experience domestic abuse. We will continue to encourage the use of core outcomes and associated measures in the evaluations we fund, and we urge other funders and evaluators to do the same."

Our new research is a key milestone in our work to build the evidence base on #DomesticAbuse. The next step is for these outcomes & measures to be put into practice ➡️

💬 Director of Evidence, Aoife O'Higgins on the importance of using these findings

📄 foundations.org.uk/our-work/pub...

We welcome this new research by @foundationsww.bsky.social which marks a significant step forward in our ability to measure the impact of domestic abuse services on child outcomes.

Find out more below! 👇

Selecting and validating outcome measures for the Domestic Violence and Abuse Core Outcome Set (DVA-COS) - Foundations

📣 A report by @foundationsww.bsky.social on selecting and validating outcomes for interventions aimed at improving outcomes for children exposed to domestic abuse has just been published. The work builds on the core outcome set developed in previous CPRU work foundations.org.uk/our-work/pub...

Our new research, with the University of Sussex, builds on the development of the domestic violence and abuse core outcome set to identify valid and reliable outcome measures for use with children & families 🫂

Find out more about how this worked & what we found 👇

foundations.org.uk/our-work/pub...

A Foundations branded quote card from Dr Emma Howarth, Associate Professor in Child & Family Mental Health at the University of Sussex: “Being able to compare different domestic abuse programmes fairly can help decision-makers fund the ones that really make a difference. Survivors and families can also make better choices about what kind of support might be most helpful for them. Ultimately, it means we’re all working towards the same goal — not just supporting families affected by domestic abuse but doing it in ways that truly help them heal and thrive.”

NEW BLOG 📝 Dr Emma Howarth, University of Sussex, unpacks the findings of our new research on domestic abuse outcome measures, explaining why this is a step forward in ensuring effective support for children & families experiencing #DomesticAbuse.

Read now: foundations.org.uk/whats-the-be...

Selecting and validating outcome measures for the Domestic Violence and Abuse Core Outcome Set (DVA-COS) - Foundations

Increased feelings of fear & lack of safety are just some of the effects felt by children who experience domestic abuse. To deliver effective support, we need to know if services make a difference to the things we know matter.

Read our new research: foundations.org.uk/our-work/pub...

A Foundations branded quote card from Chief Executive Dr Jo Casebourne: “Today’s reports take us one step closer to being able to reliably measure the impact of services on children who experience domestic abuse. This is currently a major gap which we must tackle to ensure that children get effective support. The next step is for researchers, commissioners, and service providers to start using these tools to find out what works for children and families.”

Domestic abuse programmes often measure different outcomes for children in different ways. Our new reports help us understand how we can consistently measure the impact of services & ensure children get effective support.

💬 Our Chief Exec, Dr Jo Casebourne

foundations.org.uk/our-work/pub...

WATCH ▶️ By identifying how to consistently measure agreed outcomes for children experiencing #DomesticAbuse, our research will help build a more robust evidence base to inform policy & practice.

📄 foundations.org.uk/our-work/publications/selecting-and-validating-outcome-measures-for-the-dva-cos/

NEW REPORTS 📢 Today we've published new research, conducted by the University of Sussex, which identifies valid and reliable tools to measure the impact of services on the outcomes of children who experience #DomesticViolence and abuse.

Read the reports 👉 foundations.org.uk/our-work/pub...

A graphic featuring the Foundations Evidence into Practice badge. This badge represents uniting the two areas of Evidence and Practice into a mutual and complementary whole. The Foundations logo is integrated into the badge. The text reads: "Local area funding call for Partner Places". A pink post-it note on the graphic has text that reads: "CLOSES Friday 25 July written on it in a handwriting font.

🔔⏰ One week left to apply 🔔⏰ We're looking for local authorities to work with us to turn evidence into action to help strengthen children's services. Find out more: foundations.org.uk/launch-of-ne...

A Foundations quote card featuring a quote from Kiefer Bird, a member of the Advisory Group for the Parenting Disabled Children & Young People Practice Guide. Kiefer’s quote reads: “The recommendation in the Practice Guide for early intervention reflects my own experiences. Leaving problems until they fully develop not only causes extra stress for the young person and their family, but also makes it harder to overcome the initial issue. Investing in early intervention by ‘nipping in the bud’ means long term benefits for young people, their families, and for services.” The image of Kiefer on the quote card shows a light-skinned person smiling at the camera. They have long straight dark blonde tucked behind their ears.

The new Practice Guide on parenting disabled children & young people highlights the importance of intervening early in a child's life 🗣👇 The evidence shows parenting interventions for parent carers of children under 6 are most effective in improving child outcomes: foundations.org.uk/toolkit/prac...

ICYMI 🔔 Yesterday we published the latest in a series of Practice Guides for senior local leaders 📑 Find out more about how to design & deliver #ParentingSupport for parent carers of disabled children & young ppl that improves outcomes: foundations.org.uk/toolkit/prac...

A Foundations quote card featuring a quote from Lisa Coffman, a member of the Foundations Advisory Group. The quote says: “This experience has taught me that involving parents isn’t just beneficial, it’s essential. When we bring the voices of those who parent a disabled child into research not as participants, but as partners, the work becomes richer, more ethical, and ultimately more impactful. Above all, it results in guidance that is more likely to work for families and professionals alike.” A black and white headshot of Lisa shows that she has long curly hair and light skin. She is smiling.

NEW BLOG ✍ Advisory Group member Lisa Coffman reflects on the critical role of parent carers in shaping the latest Practice Guide on parenting disabled children & young people, and those with SEN: foundations.org.uk/parenting-di...

A static quote card featuring a quote from Caroline Coady who is Deputy Director of Practice and Programmes at the Council for Disabled Children. The quote reads: “All families need support, and the type of support that parent carers of disabled children and young people may need is potentially different from other families. The Practice Guide commissioned by DfE and launched today by Foundations, provides valuable, evidence-based recommendations to help commissioners and practitioners support parent carers and re balance the system away from crisis interventions towards coordinated and strengths-based earlier help.” There is a picture of Caroline which shows that she has light skin and long light-brown hair. She wears a pair of black cat-eye style glasses and coral/red lipstick.

Parent carers of disabled children & young people often need specialised support 🗣 👇 Caroline Coady – Council for Disabled Children.

The new Practice Guide is rooted in a review of the evidence on #ParentingSupport for these families: foundations.org.uk/toolkit/prac...

A graphic which shows a laptop screen showing the Practice Guide landing page alongside the text: ‘New Practice Guide. Parenting Disabled Children & Young People and those with special educational needs (SEN)'. At the bottom of the graphic is copy that reads: ‘Find out more: foundations.org.uk/practice guides’.

New Practice Guide 📢 Parenting Disabled Children & Young People with and those with #SEN. Find out more about actionable evidence-based #ParentingSupport to improve language & communication, reduce behavioural challenges + increase parental confidence: foundations.org.uk/toolkit/prac...

A Foundations branded quote card from Jahnine Davis, National Kinship Care Ambassador: "This project is a valuable opportunity to bring the voices of traditionally marginalised children to the forefront, supporting learning and ensuring practitioners truly understand their experiences. By listening to children and young people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds, we can not only better understand their needs but also ensure that practice is rooted in the voices of children, viewed through an intersectional lens, and approached with cultural humility."

We need to know more about how to support minoritised ethnic children & young people in kinship care.

💬National Kinship Care Ambassador, Jahnine Davis, on our new funding call & the importance of listening to the voices of marginalised children 👇

foundations.org.uk/launch-of-ca...

A Foundations branded quote card from Director of Evidence, Dr Aoife O'Higgins: "There’s an urgent need to address the evidence gap about the experiences of minoritised ethnic children and young people in kinship care. We know the carers of these children face barriers when they try to access support, and that they can have negative experiences of the system. Despite this, there simply isn’t enough research on the perspectives of minoritised ethnic children. Our call aims to fill this gap, to help inform more equitable, culturally responsive services.”

Minoritised ethnic #kinship families face heightened challenges, shaped by inequalities & experiences of racism. To understand how to support these children, we need to understand their views & needs.

Our new funding call aims to fill this evidence gap 👉 foundations.org.uk/launch-of-ca...

A Foundations branded orange and oatmeal graphic that reads: Call for research proposals. Understanding kinship care for minoritised ethnic children & young people. Application deadlined: 12pm (midday), Thursday 18 September. Find out more: foundations.org.uk/opportunities/funding.

Call for research proposals 📢🔔 We're looking for organisations or consortiums to conduct qualitative research on the experiences of minoritised ethnic children and young people in #KinshipCare.

Closes: 12pm, Thurs 18 September 2025

Find out more: foundations.org.uk/opportunity/...

A Foundations branded quote card, which reads: “At the heart of our Evidence into Practice offer is support of up to £100k for each of the nine local authority Partner Places – one in each region of England – to implement approaches and interventions from the Foundations Toolkit that we know make a genuine difference to the lives of children and families.” The quote is attributed to Nimal Jude, Head of Practice Development at Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families. The card also features a head and shoulders image of Nimal. Nimal has light-brown skin and dark-brown, shoulder-length curly hair. She is wearing a bright coral lipstick, and silver earrings.

NEW BLOG ✍ @nimaljude.bsky.social, Head of Practice Development on how our new Evidence into Practice call for local areas goes beyond delivering a programme – it is a chance to collaborate to build a culture of evidence use in services for children & families: foundations.org.uk/evidence-int...

A Foundations branded quote card featuring the following quote from Foundations Chief Exective Dr Jo Casebourne: “We particularly welcome the government’s plan for a ‘new evidence-informed core offer for parents through Best Start Family Hubs’. The Foundations Toolkit has information on interventions shown to make a difference and we’ll be supporting local authorities to use this resource as they develop their Family Hubs.” There is smaller, additional copy below this which reads: Find out more: foundations.org.uk. There is a head-and-shoulders image of Jo. Jo has light skin and long straight medium-brown hair that she is wearing loose. Jo is wearing a black jacket with simple white trim along it's edges. Jo is smiling at the camera.

Comment 🗣 👇 Gov's new ‘Best start in life’ strategy + the roll out of #FamilyHubs across the country gives welcome priority to improving children’s outcomes by focussing on the #EarlyYears and making family services more widely available & easier to access. More: foundations.org.uk/press-releas...

A graphic with the Evidence into Practice badge and the heading text: 'Information and Q&A Webinars', followed by dates: Wednesday 9 July – 12:00–13:00; Thursday 10 July – 14:30–15:30; Thursday 17 July – 12:00–13:00. Find out more: foundations.org.uk/opportunities/funding

👋📢 Calling all local authorities 📢 👋 Find out more about our new major funding call and how to apply to become a Partner Place by attending one of our one-hour webinars.

Visit our events page to book your spot: foundations.org.uk/news-and-eve...

A Foundations branded quote card, which reads: “Foundations Evidence into Practice funding call is a huge opportunity for local authorities to implement the best available evidence to improve local services, and the outcomes of children and families. The Children’s Social Care National Framework stresses that it is crucial local leaders are confident in using robust evidence to strengthen local practice.” The quote is attributed to Isabelle Trowler, Chief Social Worker. The card features a head and shoulders image of Isabelle. Isabelle has light skin and blonde, shoulder-length curly hair. Isabelle is wearing a black v-neck top and is smiling at the camera.

ICYMI 🔔 "Evidence use is the new cutting edge of innovation in #ChildrensSocialCare, and the support on offer from Foundations will help embed a culture of evidence use in every region.” 🗣 Isabelle Trowler, Chief Social Worker 👇Find out more – new funding call: foundations.org.uk/launch-of-ne...

A Foundations branded quote card, which reads: “We all want children's services that make a lasting difference to outcomes – using high-quality evidence is one of the most effective ways to do this. Evidence into Practice will give local authorities the support and tools to bring together what we know works with local skills and insight to deliver real change.” The quote is attributed to Nimal Jude, Head of Practice Development at Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families. The card also features a head and shoulders image of Nimal. Nimal has light-brown skin and dark-brown, shoulder-length curly hair. She is wearing a bright coral lipstick, and silver earrings.

Our new Evidence into Practice funding call offers 9 local authorities the opportunity to work with Foundations to embed evidence-led practice and share learning across regions & nationally 🗣 @nimaljude.bsky.social, Head of Practice Development 👇

Find out more: foundations.org.uk/opportunity/...

A graphic featuring the Foundations Evidence into Practice badge. This badge represents uniting the two areas of Evidence and Practice into a mutual and complementary whole. The Foundations logo is integrated into the badge. The text to the right of this says: "Local area funding call for Partner Places. Find out more: foundations.org.uk".

Calling local authorities 📢 *Evidence into Practice* work with us to turn evidence into action to help strengthen children's services 👇

Find out more about our major new call to select 9 local authorities to partner with us to transform children’s outcomes: foundations.org.uk/launch-of-ne...

A Foundations branded quote card featuring a quote from Director of Strategy & Knowledge at NSPCC, Maria Neophytou. The quote reads: "The more we know about multi-agency working at the front door of children's social care, the better equipped we are to protect our most vulnerable children. Foundations' evaluation of MASH, with UCL and Newcastle University, is a positive contribution to our understanding of multi-agency safeguarding, highlighting the key elements of effective multi-agency working in child safeguarding. It's crucial that we get this right so that practitioners have all the information they need to keep children safe."

Understanding the key elements of effective multi-agency working in child #safeguarding is crucial to keeping vulnerable children safe 🗣 👇 Maria Neophytou, Director of Strategy & Knowledge at NSPCC.

Read the full report on Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH): foundations.org.uk/our-work/pub...

A Foundations branded quote card from Rachel Jones, Lead for MASH and early intervention at NPCC: "We welcome the research from Foundations, UCL and Newcastle University, which complements the VKPP/CoP/NPCC MASH Guiding Principles. Together, they are an opportunity to drive further improvements in MASH and they will serve as a valuable evidence base for the formation of MACPTs under the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill."

MASH involve close collaboration between agencies, including CSC, health & the police 🤝

💬 NPCC's lead for MASH, Rachel Jones, on the opportunity that our new research provides to drive improvements in multi-agency working.

📄 foundations.org.uk/our-work/publications/multi-agency-safeguarding-hubs/

Multi-agency working is a core part of our safeguarding & child protection system 🤝 Our new briefing sets out 4 key implications for policy makers & senior leaders, based on what we now know about MASH.

📄 foundations.org.uk/our-work/publications/multi-agency-safeguarding-hubs/

New report 📢 To find out more about how Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs work, we commissioned @tcru-ucl.bsky.social and @newcastleuni.bsky.social to carry out an evaluation of MASH - with funding from DfE 🔎

Read the report: foundations.org.uk/our-work/publications/multi-agency-safeguarding-hubs/