So what's a service when it's at home?

Inconsistent and frequently inadequate measurement means that we too often we do not know what services children and families actually receive, says Unit researcher Nick Axford in an article soon to be published in the journal Child & Family Social Work.

In 'What's in a "service"?' he outlines the ingredients before analysing the strengths and weaknesses of how services have been measured for research, policy and practice purposes.

The task is critically important, he argues, not least because otherwise it is very difficult to evaluate what are increasingly referred to as ‘services as usual’ in controlled trials, and to distinguish them from the alternative content of evidence-based programmes.

His article concludes by outlining potential applications of a more nuanced and consistent approach to measuring children's services.

An early version of the article will be available for download on our publications page. Follow this link to see the journal Child & Family Social Work.