Developing a strategy that merits an award

The West Midlands Regional Safeguarding Board has highlighted Birmingham's work to introduce evidence-based programmes and cost-benefit analysis to Children's Services at its first regional safeguarding awards ceremony.

The award  was in recognition of the Brighter Futures strategy, developed in collaboration with the Social Research Unit, and the way the City Council has strived to use high quality research evidence to inform their investment of £41m in prevention and early intervention activity.
 
This innovative approach represents a bold move on the part of politicians and senior officers at a time when the City Council has been under intense scrutiny following a series of damning reports on its social work services and the tragic and highly publicised death of seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq.
 
The Social Research Unit has supported the planning and implementation of Brighter Futures. It is currently evaluating three programmes and leading on developing the technology to support cost-benefit analysis.