Children's Services Research Independent Steering Group minutes: June 2023

Attendees and apologies

In attendance from the Children's Services Research Independent Steering Group

• Professor Brigid Daniel, Research Steering Group Chair, Professor Emerita, Queen Margaret University
• Dr Ruth Astbury, Lecturer and Programme Leader, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland
• Lisa Buntin, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queens University Belfast
• Professor Barbara Fawcett, Professor of Social Work and Policy Studies in the School of Social Work and Social Policy, University of Strathclyde
• Professor Ruth Jepson, Director of The Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy, Edinburgh University
• Barry McLeod, Programme Manager,  Public Service Improvement Framework
• Professor Sandra Nutley, Professor Emeritus, School of Management, University of St Andrews
• Allister Short, Service Director for Women's and Children's services within NHS Lothian
• Stephanie Crisp, Improvement Lead at The Promise Scotland (interim member)

In attendance from Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection (CELCIS)

• Dr Heather Ottaway, Principal Investigator
• Carol Ann Anderson, Co-investigator - Data Analyst
• Michael Anderson, Co-investigator - Data Lead
• Dr Leanne McIver, Co-investigator - Research Associate
• Dr Alex McTier, Co-investigator - Evidence and Evaluation Specialist
• Dr Joanna Soraghan, Co-investigator - Data Analyst
• Emma Young, Co-investigator - Research and Evaluation Associate
• Robert Porter - Lead – Rapid evidence review (strand 1)
• Michaela Manole - Co-investigator – Workforce survey (strand 4)
• Nadine Fowler - Co-investigator  - Rapid evidence review (strand 1)
• Susan Reid - Administrative support to research team
• Jane Scott - Lead – strand 5 and co-investigator for rapid evidence review (strand 1)
• Kate MacKinnon - Co-investigator – rapid evidence review (strand 1) and deep dive (strand 2)
• Maria Flores-McGinty - Administrative support to research team

Secretariat 

• Childrens Services Reform PMO

Apologies

• Professor Leah Bromfield, Margaret O’Brien, Barbara Fawcett, Allister Short (0900 - 1000), Stephanie Crisp (1000 - 1130)

Items and actions

Welcome, introduction and apologies

The Chair opened the meeting

Apologies were noted from Leah Bromfield, Professor Margaret O’Brien, Barbara Fawcett, Allister Short (from 0900 – 1000), Stephanie Crisp (1000 – 1130)

Chairs Update

The Chair thanked CELCIS for their work to date.

The Chair provided an overview of meetings with key stakeholders held to date.

Members have been asked to approved minutes from the previous meeting on the 28 March 2023 via correspondence by 16 June 2023.

Research issues, key milestones:

• CELCIS noted thanks to members for substantive comments on the draft reports. Key themes across comments have been particularly helpful
• CELCIS provide an update on the following;

• approach to publication
• progress of strand 4 and 5

Members content with the proposal to publish strands 4 and 5 together as an integrated report

• strands 1-3 key findings and responses to feedback
• key themes across strands 1-3 to help feed in to thinking and planning for final report

The Steering Group discussed the draft reports shared by CELCIS in advance of the meeting.

Strand 1 – Rapid evidence Review

• CELCIS noted the key methodological findings
• key revisions based on feedback from steering group have been noted and include structure, content and style

Strand 2 - Case studies of transformational reform programmes

• CELCIS noted key findings from the case studies of transformational reform programmes
• CELCIS thanked the Steering Group for their useful feedback

Strand 3 - Mapping Integration and outcomes across Scotland

• CELCIS noted key findings
• feedback from the Steering Group noted the use of more neutral category labels to avoid ambiguity
• research team to consider the accessibility of the methods section, including whether the modelling detail should be moved to technical report

The Steering group are content with the proposed language in the report.

Any further comments on Strand 3 should be sent to CELCIS by 19 June 2023.

Discussion about clarifying how the extensive existing body of evidence on the views of babies, children and families have been incorporated into the research and reports.

Discussion about some initial emerging themes.

No further business was noted.

Next meeting

29 August 2023