research report

Supporting independence? Evaluation of the teenage parent supported housing pilot: final report

Evaluation of a pilot that involved seven local authorities providing ‘enhanced support packages’ for teenage parents, with a particular emphasis on those aged 16 and 17 and those not living with parents/carers (including those living in their own homes or supported housing).

The pilot projects were operational from early 2009 to March 2011.

Decision-making and social work in Scotland: the role of evidence and practice wisdom

Report that presents the results of a small qualitative study undertaken between February and March 2011. It considers the role of evidence in decision making around risk in social work and what affects this process.

The research aims to shed light on the relationship between evidence and practice wisdom (as an evidence type or integrating vehicle) or professional judgement, and how this relationship shapes decision making.

A 'four nations' perspective on rights, responsibilities, risk and regulation in adult social care

Paper that reviews the prevailing approaches and attitudes to risk-taking across the four nations of the UK; considers current and likely future regulatory responses regarding this, drawing out similarities and differences and implications for these; and highlights potential areas for shared learning.

Whose risk is it anyway? Risk and regulation in an era of personalisation

Paper that argues that ‘risk’ is often perceived negatively by people using services (used as an excuse used for stopping them doing something) – but risk needs to be shared between the person taking the risk and the system that is trying to support them; states that although some people fear that personalisation may increase risk, it could help people to be safer by putting them more in control of their lives, helping them plan ahead, and focusing our safeguarding expertise on those who really need it; and considers the fact that in an era of personalisation, approaches to risk and regulat

Changing societal attitudes, and regulatory responses, to risk-taking in adult care

Paper that explores the relationship between policy initiatives regarding risk-taking in adult care and its claim to reflect user experience; argues that these policy initiatives are driven by the imperative of rationalising risk management; and claims that such policies are not a response to user demand and that more research is needed to evaluate the attitudes of users of adult care to risk-taking.

Social care inspection: the children’s audit - a report of children’s views

Report of a web survey to ask children for their views and experiences of recent Ofsted inspections of their children's homes or boarding schools. Homes and schools that were recently inspected were written to, and asked to pass on invitations to children there to fill in the survey. The survey ran from January to February 2011.

A summative report on the qualitative evaluation on the eleven remodelling social work pilots 2008-11

The social work remodelling project was a pilot programme developed to allow authorities to explore different ways of delivering social work practice. Local authorities were provided with additional resources to attempt to address the deficits they identified in delivering an effective social work offer to children and their families.