Title: Children’s social care data: an introduction and considerations for research and evaluation.

Speakers: Dr Matthew Jay and Dr Rocío (Ro) Méndez Pineda

Description: This webinar will introduce the children’s social care datasets for England (the child in need census and the children looked after return). We will consider how they can be used for research and evaluation, taking careful note of their limitations and data quality. Drawing on a recent national evaluation of Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs, we will illustrate what a quasi-experimental evaluation built on the child in need census can and cannot support in practice.