Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Twenty-Seventh Report - Evaluating innovation projects in children’s social care
Public Accounts Committee
HC 38
Published 23 November 2022
Recommendations
2
Accepted
We are not yet convinced the Department’s dissemination of learning from the programme is delivering...
Recommendation
We are not yet convinced the Department’s dissemination of learning from the programme is delivering widespread improvement. The Innovation Programme and its successor schemes have spread practice from six promising innovations across 57 further local authorities. There is some evidence …
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Government Response Summary
The government agreed and stated its strategy addresses the recommendation by promoting take up of well-evidenced models, using Practice Guides, establishing learning events, testing Family Network Support Packages, and delivering a fostering recruitment and retention programme.
HM Treasury
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3
Accepted
The Department does not yet have the data it needs to understand the impact of...
Recommendation
The Department does not yet have the data it needs to understand the impact of the innovation programme. Systems that provide high quality information to everyone involved can contribute to a culture of evaluation and an understanding of 6 Evaluating …
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Government Response Summary
The government agreed and will publish a Children’s Social Care (CSC) data strategy by the end of 2023, developed with local authorities and sector experts, to improve data collection, transparency, and use for better outcomes.
HM Treasury
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4
Accepted
Potential innovation risks being hampered by inflexibility in the wider system of children’s social care.
Recommendation
Potential innovation risks being hampered by inflexibility in the wider system of children’s social care. The Department intended the Innovation Programme to both improve outcomes for children in the social care system and produce savings. Residential care in children’s homes …
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Government Response Summary
The government agreed and stated its implementation strategy addresses the recommendation by working closely with DLUHC and HMT, pivoting service use to early family help and support, testing Family Network Support Packages, and delivering a fostering recruitment and retention programme.
HM Treasury
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5
Accepted
A challenging funding environment requires that government maintains its commitment to evaluation, and applies its...
Recommendation
A challenging funding environment requires that government maintains its commitment to evaluation, and applies its learning to secure better outcomes. As the Innovation Programme and its successor schemes move towards the end of 14 years of funding by 2027, the …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation and will demonstrate the benefits of its spending on innovation and evaluation by publishing a National Framework and Dashboard for consultation, and through continued support and funding for the What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care.
HM Treasury
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6
Accepted
The Department believes the impact of the Innovation Programme on the sector has been ‘transformational’.
Recommendation
The Department believes the impact of the Innovation Programme on the sector has been ‘transformational’. It describes the demand stimulated by the programme, having received over 200 applications for the first funding round of a programme where evaluation was a …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees to continue to promote and nurture a culture of evaluation through evaluating new proposals in the Care Review implementation strategy, and funding and support for a children’s services What Works Centre. A departmental evaluation strategy was published in June 2022.
HM Treasury
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