Scottish Child Care and Protection Network Seminar Series Supported by the Scottish Universities Insight Institute Brigid Daniel University of Stirling

SCCPN The Scottish Child Care and Protection Network fosters connections, collaboration and the coordination of activities that will promote access to and use of evidence in practice. SCCPN Research Working Group - collaboration of academics from the Universities of Dundee, Edinburgh, Strathclyde and Stirling

Seminar 1: March 9/10/11 Data linkage and mining: vision, possibilities and practicalities Seminar 2: April 20/21 st Design and methodology in longitudinal research: scope, approach and practicalities Seminar 3: June 21 st Consolidating collaborative partnerships: sharing and applying knowledge Seminar series structure

First seminar (9/10/11 March) 1. What needs to be in place to ensure that data that is routinely collected about children and families on a national and local basis can be collated, cross-referenced and used: to improve operational decision-making and planning as the basis for longitudinal research into outcomes for children?

This seminar (20/21 April) 2. What are the core constituents of a robust longitudinal design that would be fit for the evaluation of the efficacy of everyday professional intervention aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable children?

Final seminar (21 st June) Presentation, consolidation and strategic planning.

A few key points from the first seminar The discussion focused around: developing a structured data-mapping and linkage model that will facilitate the maximum use of routinely collected data on children and families to gauge outcomes of intervention facilitating data-linkage on a national and local basis that will form the bed rock for strategic planning and to support research and evaluation developing an ethical framework acceptable to all disciplines, professions and service users.

A wealth of data is already collected that could be used far more creatively – it is collected locally in different ways by different agencies for different purposes. Data linkage is possible and there are many examples of successful linkage projects – often as academic and operational partnerships. In Scotland the Scottish Health Informatics Programme (SHIP) has developed a model for linking health datasets that preserves confidentiality. The looked after children data in Scotland can now be linked with education data and potentially with child protection data returns.

The GIRFEC pathfinder illustrated ways in which routine data can be used as direct and proxy indications of well-being. At all levels of the system there needs to be commitment to, and understanding of the benefit of – accurate data collection and recording. There is a strong argument that it is an ethical imperative to use data effectively to improve the effectiveness of our services. It would be feasible in Scotland to agree a minimum data-set and a national strategy for data collection, linkage and use.

Aims of these two days: the distillation of learning from previous longitudinal studies to create the foundations of a robust design, the collation of information about the most appropriate measures to capture everyday intervention and child well-being, the development of a robust analytical package for a longitudinal study.

Issues to consider Key design and analytic issues; data collection and outcomes measures practicalities in setting up and sustaining longitudinal research with vulnerable populations methods for capturing the nature and intensity of routine multi-professional practice. Today focusing especially on design e.g. depth versus breadth, sampling, studying ‘vulnerable’ populations, ethics, analytical considerations.