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What Works for Children’s Social Care (WWCSC) and the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) merged in December 2022 and are now Foundations, the What Works Centre for Children & Families. You can visit our new website here. 

This website will remain live for now but is not being updated. Here you can find research and work we carried out as WWCSC before the new organisation was formally launched in June 2023.

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  • read more about We’re recruiting!
    News

    We’re recruiting!

    6 April 2020
    We are looking for a new member of our senior team. Director of Research What Works for Children’s Social Care is looking to recruit a Director of Research to lead our research team. The team will lead the centre’s analytical work, which covers research relating to a wide variety of outcomes for young people and […]
  • read more about Autonomy and prudence – the findings from our Devolved Budgets pilot
    Blog

    Autonomy and prudence – the findings from our Devolved Budgets pilot

    3 April 2020
    Michael Sanders, Executive Director of What Works for Children's Social Care, explores some of the findings from our new report on devolving budgets to social workers in three local authorities in England.
  • read more about Providing social workers with discretionary budgets resulted in creative solutions to help children, young people and families, new study finds
    News

    Providing social workers with discretionary budgets resulted in creative solutions to help children, young people and families, new study finds

    2 April 2020
    Social workers in three local authorities spent money on home improvements, therapeutic interventions and trips to restaurants and cafes to help children, young people and families at risk of entering care, as part of a pilot project run by What Works for Children’s Social Care and Cardiff University.
  • read more about The world turned upside down
    Blog

    The world turned upside down

    27 March 2020
    In these unusual times, Michael Sanders reflects on how our team can support the vital work of those in children's social care.
  • read more about Promoting the importance of human relationships – reflections this World Social Work Day
    Blog

    Promoting the importance of human relationships – reflections this World Social Work Day

    17 March 2020
    To mark World Social Work Day 2020, some of the social workers in our team are reflecting on this year's theme - Promoting the Importance of Human Relationships
  • read more about We’re recruiting!
    News

    We’re recruiting!

    13 March 2020
    We are looking for a Finance Manager to join the team. This post holder will lead on all aspects of the organisation’s financial activities. Incorporating financial planning, monitoring and implementation as well as ensuring smooth day to day running of the Centre’s financial processes. For more information please see here. Deadline: 12pm Wednesday 1st April
  • read more about We’re recruiting!
    News

    We’re recruiting!

    9 March 2020
    What Works for Children’s Social Care are recruiting a Director of Policy, this role will ensure that our findings and research have impact within government at a local and national level. The individual will also ensure that we continue to work with other charities, including other members of the What Works Network, to promote evidence […]
  • read more about Open Call to join our Panel of Evaluators
    News

    Open Call to join our Panel of Evaluators

    2 March 2020
    What Works for Children’s Social Care are looking to expand their Panel of Evaluators. These organisations will design and run independent evaluations of promising projects supported or funded by the Centre, and will work closely with us and our project partners to provide high quality evidence on the impact of interventions. If you are interested […]
  • read more about Education interventions show ‘Signs of Potential’
    Blog

    Education interventions show ‘Signs of Potential’

    27 February 2020
    Today I’m excited to say that we’re publishing our report ‘What Works in Education for Children who have had Social Workers‘. This report is the culmination of nine months’ work from researchers at What Works for Children’s Social Care, working with data from randomised controlled trials commissioned by our sister organisation, the Education Endowment Foundation. […]
  • read more about What can 63 EEF trials tell us about ‘what works’ for children who have had social workers?
    Blog

    What can 63 EEF trials tell us about ‘what works’ for children who have had social workers?

    27 February 2020
    This blog was originally posted on the Education Endowment Foundation website Often in research and public policy we hear the expression ‘collect once, use many times’. Rarely do we practice what we preach. Either the data aren’t defined or collected in quite the right way. Or the outcome measures don’t precisely address our research questions, […]
  • read more about We’re recruiting!
    News

    We’re recruiting!

    24 February 2020
    We are recruiting for a Programmes Manager. This role will lead on the development and delivery of programmes including the set-up of new funding calls.For more information on how to apply, please see here. Deadline: 12pm 18th March 2020.
  • read more about We’re recruiting!
    News

    We’re recruiting!

    19 February 2020
    We are looking for an Assistant Programmes Manager to join the Programmes team. This role will support with the grant funding and commissioning processes. The Programmes team strives to: Raise the standards – and volume – of good quality research in the sector, by maintaining a core focus on rigorous research, providing appropriate support, and […]