Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 17
17
Acknowledged
Having started out in 2014–15, the delivery phases of the Innovation Programme and its successor...
Conclusion
Having started out in 2014–15, the delivery phases of the Innovation Programme and its successor schemes are approaching their end. Programme funding is expected to finish in March 2024, with the remaining evaluations reporting by 2027.46 The Department stresses that ring-fenced funding streams for innovation and learning are not indefinite, and that they want to see this activity shifted into mainstream funding and practice.47 The Department is confident that enough progress has been made, with sufficient positive gains in practice that the argument for continued investment in evidence-based policy should be easier to make.48 Hertfordshire County Council for instance highlighted experience it has already had supporting local authorities making invest to save bids for further work.49
Government Response Summary
The government is committed to supporting the benefits of innovation and evaluation by publishing the National Framework and Dashboard for consultation and continuing to fund the What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
5.2 The department is committed to supporting local authorities and other departments to recognise and realise the benefits of spending on innovation and evaluation. The department published Children's social care: Stable Homes, Built on Love on 2 February 2023 responding to the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care. This describes several ways in which improvements will be achieved, including the new National Framework, data strategy and dashboard, and plans to evaluate new proposals. 5.3 The department has published the accompanying National Framework and Dashboard for consultation, which embeds the use of evidence and learning across local authorities, helping to raise the quality of practice and deliver better help, protection and care to children and families. The new dashboard will increase transparency and support local, regional and national learning. By sharing timely data more widely, the department aims to embed a culture of learning and evaluation, to help everyone improve their practice. 5.4 The department’s continued support and funding for the What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care is also critical to delivering this recommendation. WWCSC interventions have reached over 1,100 schools and 129 local authorities. The Early Intervention Foundation guidebook, which gives details of initiatives evaluated, receives 3.000 unique downloads a month. It has also influenced schools across the country, in particular with its evidence review of adolescent mental health and school-based interventions. 5.5 The Early Intervention Foundation and What Works for Children's Social Care recently merged. The new merged organisation, operating initially under the working name of What Works for Early Intervention and Children’s Social Care (WWEICSC), will make use of its collective expertise. The department expects it to use this opportunity to improve further the reach of its valuable work.