Evaluating the Early Impact of Integrated Children's Services. Round 1 Summary Report

In early 2007, at the start of the Local Authorities Research Consortium's (LARC's) first year of work, local authorities (LAs) wanted to know if integration of services was having an impact on outcomes. One year on, the question has become--how can we make integrated working deliver better outcomes faster and more consistently? The shift in thinking from integrated services to integrated working is an important one, and underlines the fact that the real test is whether end users (children, young people and families) experience a "joined up" service that identifies their needs as early as possible and meets them effectively. The way to deliver that "joined up" experience will vary according to needs, geography, etc.--but the essence must surely be a shared sense of purpose and the powerful connections individual workers and teams make with other disciplines located within their Children's Trust. This study underlines the desire for such connections amongst staff and, significantly, from parents, and also the importance of a clear and shared vision within and between organisations. The picture it paints from these messages from the "front line" of children's services resonates with other current views including the Children's Plan (DCSF, 2007), the Workforce Plan (DCSF, 2008a), Narrowing the Gap (DCSF et al., 2008) and the latest guidance for Children's Trusts (DCSF, 2008b). Steady progress has been made and there are good signs of impact on outcomes, but there now needs to be a step change in the pace and consistency of that progress. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.) [Foreword by John Harris. For Round 1 Final Report, see ED502357.]