Improving outcomes for children and young people through multi-agency work

This project will explore how multi-agency working can better address the needs of children and young people (CYP) at the intersection of education, social care, and criminal justice systems. 

Why this project is important

Improving outcomes for CYP involved with education, social care, and the criminal justice system is a government priority. Links between poor educational outcomes, care experiences, and criminal justice system involvement are well established. Those at greatest risk often face intersectional disadvantages, such as poverty and racial inequities, yet systematic barriers hinder effective multi-agency collaboration.  

It is recognised that outcomes for CYP involved in these systems are best addressed through a comprehensive multi-agency approach. Current research lacks sufficient understanding of how to achieve improved outcomes for CYP at this nexus.

What the research will involve

This research addresses this gap by looking at how policy and practice at the ‘nexus’ of education, social care and youth justice services be developed and improved to support better outcomes for CYP. It will also address the following questions: 

• How is multi-agency work at the nexus configured and why and are there ways it could be improved to more effectively address the needs and risks for CYP?  

• How do practitioners at the nexus conceptualise, measure, and enable ‘better outcomes’, and how can any differences in approach be explained or overcome?  

• What are understood to be the policy, practice, and systems-level challenges of effective multi-agency working, and how might they be mitigated and/or overcome? 

• How are professionals’ methods of engagement and approaches to support experienced by CYP at the nexus, and by caregivers, and how do they think practice might be improved? 

The research will be conducted in partnership with Virtual Schools in four local authorities selected for their diverse demographics and well-established multi-agency connections.  The research will involve: 

• Evidence synthesis and policy analysis to map the needs and outcomes of CYP.   

• Strategic interviews to understand multi-agency practices and local contexts.   

• Multi-agency workshops to identify good practices and barriers.   

• Ethnographic observations to examine day-to-day practices and decision-making.   

• Case studies with CYP and caregivers to explore lived experiences and effective interventions.   

How the research will make a difference 

Findings will be directly shared with key stakeholders, including policymakers and legislators; local stakeholders, including local authorities and voluntary sector organisations; and National Virtual Schools and advocacy/support groups for CYP and caregivers.