Children in need of help and protection: call for evidence.

We want to understand what it is that makes the difference to the educational outcomes of Children in Need in practice, how some Children in Need can achieve better educational outcomes than others, and what works in enabling Children in Need to achieve their potential.

We need to develop a stronger evidence base, going beyond the data to look at what is happening in practice. At different stages in a child’s life, or when requiring different levels of statutory social care support, children’s needs will require a different response. At each of these stages, a child may work with a variety of professionals who offer support to a child and to their family, to improve a child’s circumstances.

Through the call for evidence, we want to understand how the work of professionals supporting Children in Need can make a difference to a child’s educational outcomes. Specifically, we are interested in:

• how support is delivered or commissioned to help children
• how this support is measured and evaluated
• how this support influences educational outcomes

Children in Need are a legally defined group of children, assessed as needing help and protection as a result of risks to their development or health. This group includes children subject to Child in Need Plans, Child Protection plans, Looked After Children, young carers; and disabled children.