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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’ve experienced so much more reality than other students”
    Blog

    “We’ve experienced so much more reality than other students”

    13 October 2020
    In his blog, Michael Sanders reflects on the importance of our new project encouraging care-leavers to consider higher and further education
  • read more about Machine Learning; Now is a time to stop and think
    Blog

    Machine Learning; Now is a time to stop and think

    10 September 2020
    Following the publication on our new report on machine learning in children's social care, Michael Sanders reflects on where we go from here
  • read more about New project finds machine learning models miss four out of five children at risk
    News

    New project finds machine learning models miss four out of five children at risk

    10 September 2020
    New research finds that machine learning models tested could not accurately predict whether risks to children and young people would escalate.
  • read more about New review highlights lack of evidence on homelessness and care leavers
    Blog

    New review highlights lack of evidence on homelessness and care leavers

    8 September 2020
    Following the recent publication of a systematic review of the effectiveness of 'discharge programmes' to prevent homelessness, Michael Sanders discusses why the lack of evidence about care-leavers and homelessness needs to be addressed.
  • read more about Funding for three new projects which aim to increase educational attainment for children with a social worker announced
    News

    Funding for three new projects which aim to increase educational attainment for children with a social worker announced

    1 September 2020
    We are delighted to announce details of three projects designed to support the education of children with a social worker, with funding of over £400,000
  • read more about We’re recruiting
    News

    We’re recruiting

    26 August 2020
    We are looking for a new Programmes Manager to join our team. This role is for maternity cover from the end of November 2020 to mid October 2021. The Programmes team at What Works for Children’s Social Care is responsible for the grant funding and commissioning, the team strives to: Raise the standards – and […]
  • read more about Local Authorities participating in scale-up of Social Workers in Schools announced
    News

    Local Authorities participating in scale-up of Social Workers in Schools announced

    20 August 2020
    We are delighted to announce the 21 local authorities in England who will receive funding to place social workers in their schools to help reduce referral rates to children’s social care, in an expansion of a previous pilot which showed promise.
  • read more about We’re recruiting!
    News

    We’re recruiting!

    30 July 2020
    We are looking for a new Assistant Programmes Manager to join our team. The Programmes team at What Works for Children’s Social Care is responsible for the grant funding and commissioning, the team strives to: Raise the standards – and volume – of good quality research in the sector, by maintaining a core focus on […]
  • read more about We’re recruiting!
    News

    We’re recruiting!

    15 July 2020
    Self Evaluation Project Manager Practice In Need of Evidence (PINE) is our programme to develop early stage research that can inform our larger programmes, while helping partners to evaluate their own projects and programmes and helping to create an evidence-minded profession. As the PINE lead you will manage and be the main contact for the […]
  • read more about We’re recruiting!
    News

    We’re recruiting!

    13 July 2020
    Researcher – Quantitative What Works for Children’s Social Care is looking to recruit a Researcher to work in our research team. This role will work particularly on the team’s growing portfolio of projects, including randomised controlled trials in children’s social care. This research aims to help us to understand how best to support social workers […]
  • read more about Open funding round – we want to hear from you
    Blog

    Open funding round – we want to hear from you

    2 July 2020
    In her latest blog, Louise Jones discusses the excitement - and anxiety - of launching our first open funding round.
  • read more about We’re recruiting members for our Young Person’s Advisory Group
    News

    We’re recruiting members for our Young Person’s Advisory Group

    1 July 2020
    What Works for Children’s Social Care (WWCSC) are looking for up to seven young people who are aged between 18 and 25 to join our Young Person’s Advisory Group. The advisory group meets four times a year to discuss and advise on research projects which WWCSC are planning or are undertaking. Meetings are either virtual […]