An innovative collaboration between local authorities and universities will improve the way that information about and from children, young people and families is used in local and national Government.
In mid-November practice leaders and senior information management colleagues working in Children’s Services from 20 local authorities across England and Wales, came together for the first Learning Network meeting. This Learning Network is an exciting aspect of the Children’s Information project that aims to improve the way children’s information in defined, collected and used in local and national Government.
The Learning Network will co-develop better processes for using data and generating insight to improve policy and practice, ultimately supporting improvements in the experiences and outcomes of children, young people and families.
The programme is structured with research taking place in four local areas – each of which are undertaking ‘Information Use Projects’. These focus on one or more of three main areas:
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Defining and measuring need.
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Voice and co-production
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Data access and analysis.
The Learning Network will delve into the following emerging themes over the coming months. By critically engaging in what’s working and what needs to develop and change, it will enhance capabilities in their own work and support the dissemination of learning across the wider sector.
Better lives?
Leon Feinstein, Professor of Education and Children’s Social Care at the University of Oxford and chair of the project’s Steering Group, explains that at the core of the research is the question, does better use of data and voice lead to better lives for children, young people and families? The research will test this hypothesis. It will seek to learn from existing practice and knowledge through a two-way dialogue between the ‘Information Use Projects’ and experiences of the different areas participating in the Learning Network.
Learning Network members will wrestle with the challenges that emerge from the research – such as how to develop good ethics guidelines – and co-create solutions, drawing on their own learning and insight. This allows learning and insights from the local sites to be ‘stress-tested’ so that dissemination activity is as relevant and applicable as possible across the country.
A slice of cake – voice as core to all data, information and its use
A great deal of thought has been given by the researchers in the programme to what is meant by ‘data’ and ‘voice’.
‘Voice is commonly represented as separate to data, and the voices of children and their families are often considered to emerge within specific consultation or participation activities.’ Perpetua Kirby, Research Fellow at Sussex University
Perpetua proposed the metaphor of a layered cake – data, information and information use form three layers, but voice should appear in every slice of the cake. For example, there should not only be voices within data – such as children’s wishes and feelings within case file data, but also voices about what and how information is recorded or actioned, by say government, researchers, and practitioners. We know that some voices are attended to more than others which is why:
‘This project aims to amplify the voices of children, young people, and their parents/carers, as well as practitioners’.
Values and drivers
There was a shared view amongst both practice leads and information managers that there is a strong commitment to capturing voice in Children’s Services. It is felt that Children’s Services are data rich, compared to other services. There are strong ‘data cultures’ in which the value of data is understood amongst practice leaders, for developing strategy and driving improvement.
However, participants talked about how different types of information are valued. They reflected on what’s driving information use at a local and national level. Quantitative data is often seen as having a higher value over ‘softer’ outcomes or the stories of children, young people and families. The demands of recording and reporting information for statutory returns, for example were seen as a key driver for the way in which some types of information are prioritised over others. It was felt that inclusive and creative voice work needed to be promoted at system level, for example by Ofsted so that local authorities can pursue new approaches with confidence.
Leveraging change
There was a sense that not enough time or thought goes into what to do with information once it has been gathered or recorded. For example, the demands of statutory reporting leaves little capacity for analysis and interpretation of the wealth of data available. Data leads expressed a need for more ‘thinking space’ to ensure that children and families’ voices are better captured. The infrastructure and technology needed to unlock the potential of Children’s Services data was raised as critical if it is to drive change in service quality and performance. As one participant posed:
‘Which budgets and whose responsibility is better listening and better data?’
Would you give a questionnaire to your child?
A feeling amongst practice leads, was that more can be done to integrate data collection into every day, relational practice with children and families. As Dr Kirby noted:
‘data collection does not simply support social care practices, it changes the practices and relationships embedded within services.’
There was recognition that the default to consultations and surveys wasn’t always effective, and worse, could be tokenistic. Data collection processes are mediated by professionals and voices of children and families may become diluted to meet certain organisational needs.
The group touched on the risks of exclusionary practice in which structural inequality, racism and ableism can impede inclusion (rendering the exercise much less useful). Some efforts at engaging lived experience may even be extractive or exploitative, therefore replicating inequity and marginalisation. It was noted how important it is to be honest about what you’re doing and why. Participants were reminded of the value of diverse approaches, such as presented in the ‘Wheel of Participation’, which recognises that different modes of participation are suitable for different purposes. (OCC, 2013b, drawing on Treseder’s ‘degrees of participation’).
Possibilities
The Learning Network is a new space for debate and critical thinking, and for professionals to share ideas and support each other. There was agreement amongst participants that the issues raised in the first network meeting were complex and potentially huge. The challenge now is to identify priorities that can lead to tangible change. The next Learning Network meeting will be in spring 2023 when colleagues from the local Information Use Projects will share emerging findings.
