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Little & Maughan chapter on children’s services. Below is a draft presentation of the year two epidemiological data from Birmingham Local Authority. This large file may take some time to download.
Part of the logic model for the investments made as part of Dartingtons work in Ireland stresses the importance of robust evaluation to discover whether new services have an impact on child outcomes. This has led to the planning of dozens of experimental evaluations, otherwise known as randomised controlled trials. The following articles deal with the use of this methodology. Daniel Pine in an editorial for the Journal of Psychology and Psychiatry notes the paucity of articles in the Journal based on experimental methods. Ann Oakley's widely read and cited paper gives a valuable history on the use of experimental methods.
The work in Ireland has benefited hugely from the support of Rebecca Maynard, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Rebecca has been advising on the construction of experimental trials of services designed and implemented using the new investments. Her own work in the United States has partly centred on the evaluation of programmes intended to improve sexual health for adolescents. The following paper summarises currently published evidence on programmes in the US.
'Innovation' is a watchword for Dartingtons work. The long term success of much innovation depends on strong public sector engagement. The following working paper prepared by Geoff Mulgan (Director of the Young Foundation) sets out a framework for thinking about innovation and the conditions for its success and difusion in the public sector.
Invest in the Very Young: Arguments by Nobel Laureate James Heckman on benefits of investing in children. Heckman came to Dublin in April 2005 to give a seminar on the same subject with Colm Harmon from University College Dublin. This work has been useful in helping us think about prevention in Ireland. The lecture is available from the US organisation Ounce of Prevention who sponsored the original lecture in 2000.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Reasoned advice to commissioners and providers: The following PDF is a discussion by Robert Goodman from the Institute of Psychiatry in London. Evidence is much better used in the mental health field than in other parts of children’s services, although there remains a long way to travel. This ‘blueprint’ for the future of mental health services by Goodman helped in thinking about supporting the development of the new children’s services following the Children Act, 2004. Papers are available from the Institute of Psychiatry site.
Time Trends in Adolescent Well-Being: In 2001,the Nuffield Foundation funded Stephan Collishaw, Barbara Maughan, Robert Goodman and Andrew Pickles, all from the Institute of Psychiatry, to look at changes in adolescent mental health using surveys in 1974, 1986 and 1999. The strength of the study is the use of comparable measures over the three time periods. The results are rather disturbing. This excellent summary by Ann Hagell at the Nuffield Foundation, captures the findings and speculates on the potential causes. The research and summary have been helpful in encouraging local authorities to take up opportunities afforded by the Children Act, 2004; change is needed not only because the law requires it but also because some child mental health outcomes appear to be deteriorating. The summary is available from the Nuffield Foundation. The academic paper is published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (Volume 45).
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Introduction chapter.pdf