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Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families

@foundationsww.bsky.social

Generating and championing actionable evidence that improves services to support family relationships - foundations.org.uk.

284 Posts261 Follower 102 Folgt

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 3d ago

Calling all senior local authority leaders & practice supervisors 📢 Help us ensure that our website, guidance & tools are as useful and accessible as possible by taking part in a 1.5-hour structured online focus group. Find out more: forms.cloud.microsoft/e/kkvTeFfNQk

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 6d ago

Our newsletter is out! 📨 We take a deep dive into the Reunification Practice Guide, which we published earlier this month. Explore the Guide's contents and the resources supporting commissioning, design and delivery. Read our Reunification Practice Guide deep dive 👉 🧭 mailchi.mp/foundations....

🧭 Supporting families through reunification

A new Practice Guide to help local authorities choose the best support for children and families going through the reunification process.

mailchi.mp

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 6d ago

Deadline extended 📣 🗓️ The deadline to apply for our domestic abuse workforce programmes evidence fund has been extended to 10am, Tuesday 22 September 2026. Find out more & apply ➡️ lnkd.in/escTRyzR

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families@foundationsww.bsky.social · 2mo ago

About the call 🔎 Domestic abuse workforce programmes evidence fund Effective responses to #DomesticAbuse in families rely on a skilled, confident & well-supported workforce - our call aims to build evidence on promising workforce programmes. 🗓️12pm, 5 August 🔗 foundations.org.uk/opportunity/...

A Foundations branded graphic that reads: Domestic abuse workforce programmes evidence fund

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · last wk.

Our Deputy Director Donna Molloy will be speaking at CYPNow’s #EarlyHelp Conference in September 🗣️ She will talk about how evidence can support the local early help offer & what we are doing to close evidence gaps & turn evidence into practice. Find out more 👉 earlyhelpconference.com/LIVE/en/page...

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · last wk.

About the call 🔎 Strengthening evaluation capacity of By and For Orgs. We want to support these orgs to strengthen evaluation practice, to help improve workforce responses to minoritised ethnic families affected by #DomesticAbuse Closes 🗓️ 12pm, 19 August 🔗 foundations.org.uk/opportunity/...

Strengthening the evaluation capacity of By and For Organisations

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · last wk.

WATCH ▶️ 👇 Foundations’ Senior Development Adviser Harpreet Ahdan unpacks 5 ways the Reflective Tool can help local authorities action the evidence-based key principles and recommendations of the Reunification Practice Guide 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Check out the Reflective Tool 🔗 foundations.org.uk/wp-content/u...

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 2w ago

We are working with @researchip.bsky.social to share available evidence and actionable recommendations on children’s social care & how to put them into practice, enabling uptake and use of evidence about what has been shown to improve outcomes for children. Read 👉 foundations.org.uk/foundations-...

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 2w ago

Our Chief Exec, Jo Casebourne, joined partners for an important discussion with Health Minister @sharonhodgsonmp.bsky.social on children’s health and early intervention. Parenting support is one of the most powerful tools for helping children thrive – but we must ensure no families are left behind.

The image is a group photo of key sector partners after the roundtable discussion, including Sharon Hodgson MP, Minister for Public Health and Prevention, front-and-centre, as well as Dr Jo Casebourne, Chief Executive of Foundations, amongst the small group.

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 3w ago

REFLECTIVE TOOL 🔎💭for actioning the #Reunification Practice Guide. The Tool can help translate the Guide’s evidence-based key principles & recommendations into safe & sustained reunification support that works in your local area 🔗 foundations.org.uk/wp-content/u...

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 3w ago

SUMMARY FOR ELECTED & LEAD MEMBERS 📄🗣️ As well as summarising the #Reunification Practice Guide, this handy resource provides a set of key questions to Elected & Lead Members to help them better support the delivery of evidence-based reunification services: foundations.org.uk/wp-content/u...

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 3w ago

🗨️ Hear from sector experts & contributors on why the #Reunification Practice Guide is such a valuable tool in helping senior local leaders & practitioners to plan and implement the most effective support for children & families going through reunification 👉 foundations.org.uk/press-releas...

Quote card. “The Reunification Practice Guide comes at a crucial moment when both national policy and local practice are shifting to a focus on supporting families remain together safely, addressing the root causes of the challenges they face, and recognising the importance of continued, wraparound support to both children and their parents. This long-awaited guidance to local authorities is based on the best available evidence as well as conversations with children, parents, foster carers, and professionals, and it will enable senior leaders and practitioners to make sure more children can safely grow up with their parents.” Dr Jo Casebourne, Chief Executive, Foundations.

Quote card. Dr Ciara Keenan, Assistant Director of Research & Evidence at the National Children's Bureau, says: "The evidence is clear that returning home from care is not a single moment, but a journey that requires careful, timely and sustained support. Crucially, we heard directly from children, young people, parents, foster carers and frontline practitioners, so the recommendations reflect both robust research and everyday reality. That combination matters, because it means this work can help local areas provide support that is feasible, compassionate and capable of giving families the best chance of staying safely together."

Quote card. Isabelle Trowler, Chief Social Worker for Children and Families, says: "This Practice Guide recognises the knowledge, skill, compassion, and persistence of those who help facilitate this transition. By focusing on planning, partnership, and sustained, evidence informed support, it will help practitioners achieve better, more lasting outcomes for the children and families they serve."

Quote card. Eavan Mckay, Policy & Public Affairs Manager at the NSPCC, says: "For too long, a lack of national focus, guidance and resources has made it challenging for local authorities to effectively support families before and after a return home. This is vital to ensuring they can stay together, and a child doesn’t re-enter the care system unnecessarily. This new Practice Guide is a positive and welcomed step forward, bringing together the evidence on what works to support a child’s return home from care and demonstrating why investing in this support is not only the right thing to do for children and families, but also makes sound financial sense."

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 3w ago

REMINDER ⏰ Join us this Friday for the #FosterCare Practice webinar 📅 Find out how the Practice Guide can be used to strengthen support for foster carers in your local area. Book your spot here 🔗 events.teams.microsoft.com/event/d1e430...

A static graphic with an oatmeal background. It features bold header text in honey which reads: 'Upcoming webinar', followed by 'Foster Care Practice Guide'. I large teal calendar icon shows the date and time info for the webinar, which reads: Friday 17 July 2026 11:00–12:30 Right at the bottom there is copy that says 'Find out more: foundations.org.uk/events-and-webinars.

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 4w ago

What does a positive #reunification process look like? Writing in CYPNow, Foundations’ Senior Practice Development Adviser Harpreet Ahdan outlines 4 steps to ensure families receive the support they need before, during, and after reunification. 👉 www.cypnow.co.uk/content/in-d...

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 4w ago

The #Reunification Practice Guide, published today, includes eight Key Principles on the approach local leaders & practitioners can take on reunification 🗝️ They are drawn from the experiences of parents, children, young people, and practitioners. Find out more: foundations.org.uk/toolkit/prac...

Practice Guide - Reunification. Key principles to implement evidence-based recommendations.

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 4w ago

The #Reunification Practice Guide includes 4️⃣ evidence-based recommendations senior local leaders and practitioners can put into action to support & improve the lives of children returning home to their families after a period in care. Find out more: foundations.org.uk/toolkit/prac...

National Children's Bureau @ncb.org.uk · 4w ago

Reunification can be a pivotal transition for children, young people, and their families. NCB's systematic review of existing evidence and research has informed Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families's practice guide on reunification, published today: buff.ly/p6YsZiV

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 4w ago

NEW 📢 #Reunification Practice Guide 📢 This Guide includes the best-available evidence on supporting children to return to their families and stay together, after a period in care, with actionable steps for senior local leaders & practitioners: foundations.org.uk/toolkit/prac...

Reunification Practice Guide – Foundations

This Practice Guide can support senior leaders, practice supervisors, and practitioners – including Independent Reviewing Officers in local authorities – across Family Help, child protection, safeguar...

foundations.org.uk

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 4w ago

How do families and practitioners feel about reunification? 💭 Throughout the Reunification Practice Guide, published tomorrow, you’ll be able to hear directly from children, families & practitioners who have experienced reunification first-hand, including how they felt & what helped them the most.

"I think for me the best person to have [catch-ups about how things are going with reunification] would be the social worker, but, again, we had so many social workers, we didn't have a consistent one. If we had an individual contact across somebody who remained with us throughout the process, I think that would have made it a lot easier." Young person

"I think the Family Group Conference is a really important ingredient as well. They organise what I need for my new home, for my home at that time, when my son comes back. ... So, we have all the plans in place, so it's all happening in that time." Parent

"If it's concerns around parenting, concerns around neglect, domestic abuse, we would then deliver interventions around that, so we were specifically working towards what the issues were and what the outcomes from proceedings were." Professional in children's social care

"By the very nature of having your child removed, you’ve become a vulnerable person, and we don't recognise that enough and put in place the safeguards for vulnerable people, because I'm not sure you can be labelled anything worse in our society than a bad mother." Parent

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 4w ago

Policy shifts are putting #reunification on the agenda as an important option to be actively considered by local authorities for children & young people in care, and their families. Watch ▶️👇 to find out why the Reunification Practice Guide – out tomorrow – is a key resource for local areas

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 4w ago

This week, we are publishing a new Practice Guide on #reunification – the process through which a child or young person who has been in care is reunited with their parents. Watch this video to find out how Practice Guides help senior local leaders, and frontline practitioners 👇

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · last mo.

NEW OPPORTUNITY 📢🌟 We’re looking for applications from researchers to work with us as a part of the @ukri.org What Works Innovation Fellowship, focused on tackling violence against women and girls. 🗓️Closes: 4pm, 8 September 2026 Apply now ➡️ foundations.org.uk/opportunity/...

A Foundations branded graphic that reads: UKRI What Works Innovation Fellowship: Tackling violence against women and girls. Foundations - What Works Centre for Children & Families: Domestic abuse fellowship. Closes: 4pm, Tuesday 8 September 2026. Find out more. foundations.org.uk/partner-with-us/funding

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · last mo.

REMINDER 🔔 FOSTER CARE WEBINAR 📅 Join us this Thursday to find out how the #FosterCare Practice Guide can be used to strengthen support for foster carers in your local area. Book your spot for Thursday 👉 🔗 events.teams.microsoft.com/event/3b3c41...

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · last mo.

Our latest newsletter is out! 📨 This month, we talk about the importance of enduring relationships, our new Outcomes Framework & Measures Database, two opportunities to work with us, and two upcoming webinars! Read it here 👉 mailchi.mp/foundations....

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · last mo.

If you work in #FosterCare then our upcoming Practice Guide webinars are for you 💻👋 Join us online for a deep dive on the Foster Care Practice Guide, and how it can be used to strengthen support for foster carers in your local area. Sign up now (x2 dates): foundations.org.uk/news-and-eve...

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 2mo ago

NEW BLOG ✍️ Senior Policy Adviser, Ava Berry, reflects on the vital role of the workforce in ensuring that children affected by #DomesticAbuse get the support they need, & how generating evidence can help us build a confident & skilled workforce. 🔗 foundations.org.uk/finding-out-...

A Foundations branded quote card from Senior Policy Adviser Ava Berry that reads: “A confident, skilled, and well-equipped workforce improves the chances that children will receive the support they need, when they need it. The Department for Education has committed to upskilling the workforce response to children and domestic abuse, but we need to understand what works to support practitioners to identify and respond to domestic abuse. Our new programme of work is pivotal to meeting this ambition.”

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 2mo ago

About the call 🔎 Strengthening evaluation capacity of By and For organisations. We want to support these orgs to strengthen evaluation practice, to help improve workforce responses to minoritised ethnic families affected by #DomesticAbuse. 🗓️12pm, 19 August 🔗 foundations.org.uk/opportunity/...

A Foundations branded graphic that reads: Strengthening the evaluation capacity of By and For organisations.

A Foundations branded graphic that reads: About the call. We’re inviting expressions of interest from By and For organisations who deliver domestic abuse workforce development programmes and would like to strengthen their evaluation skills. This is an opportunity to receive tailored support to strengthen and refine your intervention.

A Foundations branded graphic that reads: Why are we launching this call? Our scoping revealed substantial gaps in practitioners’ capacity to support minoritised ethnic children, young people and families who are affected by domestic abuse. By and For organisations are uniquely positioned to address these workforce needs. We want to support these organisations to strengthen their evaluation practice and drive more equitable responses to domestic abuse.

A Foundations branded graphic that reads: Eligibility & how to apply. This funding call is open to By and For organisations only, who have a track record of delivering a domestic abuse workforce programme, particularly focused on minoritised ethnic children and families. To apply, please first submit your expression of interest
via the portal on our website by 12pm (midday), 19 August. Shortlisted organisations will be invited to submit a
full application.

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 2mo ago

A Foundations branded graphic that reads: About the call. We want to identify domestic abuse workforce programmes that could be evaluated for impact. We're looking for applications from organisations delivering programmes that benefit children, young people and families, especially those from marginalised and minoritised ethnic communities.

A Foundations branded graphic that reads: Why are we launching this call? We know that effective responses to domestic abuse rely on a skilled, confident, and well-supported workforce, but that gaps in knowledge and understanding can sometimes mean children don't get the support they need. We want to understand what works to support professionals to identify and respond to domestic abuse in families.

A Foundations branded graphic that reads: Eligibility & how to apply. Eligible programmes should address key gaps, such as cultural competence, coercive control, perpetrator dynamics, and child-centred practice. To apply, please submit your application via the portal on our website by 12pm (midday), 5 August.

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 2mo ago

📣 We’re launching two new calls for domestic abuse workforce programmes to tell us more about what works: Domestic abuse workforce programmes evidence fund ➡️ foundations.org.uk/opportunity/... Strengthening the evaluation capacity of By and For organisations ➡️ foundations.org.uk/opportunity/...

A Foundations branded graphic that reads: Call for programmes. Domestic abuse workforce programmes evidence fund. Closes: 12pm (midday), Wednesday 5 August. Strengthening the evaluation capacity of By and For organisations: Domestic abuse workforce programmes. Closes: 12pm (midday), Wednesday 19 August. Find out more. foundations.org.uk/partner-with-us/funding

Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families @foundationsww.bsky.social · 2mo ago

NEW BLOG ✍️ Evidence & Evaluation Officer, Kecia Painuthara, shares more about why we developed our new Outcomes Framework & Measures Database and how this will support our work to generate evidence on services for children & families. Read the blog ➡️ foundations.org.uk/developing-a...

A Foundations-branded quote card from Kecia Painuthara, Evidence & Evaluation Officer: "Choosing the right outcomes and measurement tools is important to accurately understand the difference a service makes. By focusing our evaluations on the outcomes that matter most to children and their families, our framework will help us achieve our vision and mission: to ensure vulnerable children have the relationships they need to thrive."