Children's social care cost pressures and variations in unit costs.
Holmes., L 2021

This report brings together findings from a recent data collection template completed by 13 local authorities in England (termed here the cost pressures survey) and existing research evidence to explore the unit costs of providing children’s social care services. The findings from existing research are focused on the use of a bottom-up unit costing methodology to explore different parts of the children’s social care system and to identify, and account for variations, based on qualitative responses from the cost pressures survey. The focus of this report is on all children in need, including those who are looked after. The findings are also positioned within the wider evidence base covering issues related to demand and expenditure on children’s social care.

Children's Social Care Innovation Programme
Fitzsimmons & McCraken 2020

This report provides an overview of key findings from evaluations of the Department for Education’s Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme as well as drawing in some overall conclusions and suggestions recommendations for children’s services based on the body of evidence as a whole.

Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme Final evaluation report
Sebba, J., Luke, N., McNeish, D., & Rees, A. 2017

We study the relationship between a key early intervention policy designed to support families with children up to the age of four and the rate at which children are taken into social care. The gradual build-up of over 3,600 Sure Start Children’s Centres (SSCC), operated by Local Authorities across England, created large spatial and cohort variation in the provision of a range of services that include childcare, early education, health and parenting support. Local Authorities are also responsible for the safeguarding of children and about 25 children per 10,000 are taken into social care annually, in the majority of cases to protect them from abuse and neglect. We find that SSCC provision is associated with a higher rate of entry into care for children aged 0-4, but a lower rate of entry for children aged 5-9. The findings are consistent with the policy improving longer-term outcomes while identifying cases in urgent need of care.