Understanding Costs and Outcomes in Child Welfare Services

Today's child welfare services operate under a limited supply of resources which are being stretched by economic cuts and an increasing number of referrals to children's social care. This book provides a comprehensive costing approach which examines how finite resources can be most effectively used to provide support to the most vulnerable children and their families. Drawing upon the latest research and data, it outlines a methodology which has been applied to a range of child welfare services. The methodology breaks services down into component parts, creating a 'unit cost' for each type of case and task. This 'bottom-up' approach ensures that costing is consistent and allows for variations specific to each type of case and welfare organisation. By looking explicitly at the links between needs, costs and outcomes, this book gives social care commissioners and managers an indication of the most effective and efficient way to allocate and channel resources. As well as offering these implications for practice, this book will offer policymakers evidence of the effectiveness of early intervention and preventative measures. In providing a detailed assessment of children's needs, costs and outcomes across the full range of child welfare services and cases, this book will be of essential use to both social care professionals at the commissioning level and policymakers who wish to improve the effectiveness of child welfare services. This authoritative series draws from original research and current policy debates to help social work managers, policy makers and researchers to understand and improve the outcomes of services for children and young people in need. Taking an evidence-based approach, these books include children's experiences and analysis of costs and effectiveness in their assessment of interventions, and provide guidance on how to develop more effective policy, practice, and training.