Theme
Area
Category
Evaluation of the use of objects in social work (2022)
We carried out an evaluation of the use of objects in social work, gathering feedback from social workers and practitioners involved in Coram’s ‘objects in social work’ experimental groups. The groups were run by emeritus professor Mark Doel between March 2021 and October 2021 in Sheffield, London and New York. The use of objects in conversations aims to enable social workers, and children and young people themselves, to better understand their life stories and their support needs. We observed the experimental groups and held one-to-one interviews with 11 experimental group attendees and Mark Doel, to hear about their experiences of using objects in social work and of taking part in the groups.
Evaluation of Behaviour Outreach Support Service (2021)
Funded by What Works for Children’s Social Care, Coram carried out a mixed-methods pilot evaluation in academic year 2020/21 of a school-based Family Action intervention , designed and delivered by Family Action, called the Behaviour Outreach Support Service. Our plans for the evaluation were published in 2020. It aimed to help schools improve their support to pupils who display challenging behaviour. BOSS was delivered to 77 pupils aged 5 to 11, who have or have had a social worker, in eight primary schools in York. Our methods were: semi-structured interviews with pupils, parents, carers, teachers, BOSS staff and York council staff, administrative data collection and analysis, case files review, paper diaries completed by pupils, and an online survey for school staff.
Evaluation of Creative Life Story Work (2020)
With our partners Ipsos MORI, Coram is carrying out an evaluation of a Blue Cabin model of Creative Life Story Work. We have published plans for a randomised controlled trial plus process evaluation (interviews and survey), funded by What Works for Children’s Social Care, of the implementation of the programme in Darlington, Gateshead and South Tyneside councils.
What Makes Life Good: Care leavers’ views on their well-being (2020)
For this major report, we analysed responses from 1,804 care leavers in 21 local authorities in England collected between 2017 and 2019 through Coram Voice’s Your Life Beyond Care survey. The study was carried out in collaboration with Coram Voice and the Rees Centre, University of Oxford.
Follow-up evaluation of Family Group Conferences in pre-proceedings (2020)
We followed up a previous evaluation carried out under Round one of the Department for Education’s Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme. We carried out interviews and analysed data to find out what happened next to child outcomes in Wiltshire and Southwark councils, after families received Daybreak Family Group Conferences.
Evaluation of specialist foster care placement project (2020)
As part of the Department for Education Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme, we carried out an evaluation of a project which aimed to use specialist placements and co-produced care planning to allow disabled young people from Hertfordshire and Staffordshire to transfer to local foster care from out of area placements.