Signs of Safety evaluation: Phase 1
Purpose
Wave 1 of the English Innovation Programme (EIP), funded by the Department for Education (DfE), supported ten Signs of Safety pilots across England. The Signs of Safety (SoS) pilots were run by the consortium MTM. The evaluation conducted by Mary Baginsky and colleagues for the SoS pilot programme was designed to answer the following questions:
- Are outcomes for children and young people improving?
- Is there better value for money across children’s social care?
The pilots were subsequently supported by Wave 2 EIP funding and Dr Baginsky and colleagues conducted an evaluation between 2018 and 2020.
Timescale
2015 – 2017
Funding
MTM / Department for Education
Methods
The components of the methodology were tied to the outcomes required by the DfE: Interviews were conducted with up to 300 families (adults and children) at two points in time, six months apart, in the 10 local authority sites. We collected data from children, young people and parents in face to face interviews, using a number of standardised measures. Analysis of large data sets was also part of this work. Social workers helped by completing time diaries to help us examine the way work time was used by front-line staff in the SoS pilots. Social workers also participated in focus groups and interviews, as well as surveys.
Publications
Final Report
Baginsky, M., Moriarty, J., Manthorpe, J., Beecham, J. & Hickman, B. (2017) Evaluation of Signs of Safety in 10 pilots, London: Department for Education.
Appendices to the project report
Appendix A: Theory of change
Appendix B: 10 pilot local authorities
Appendix C: Methodology and analysis
Appendix D: Instruments used
Appendix E: Profiling responses
Appendix F: Background data on social workers working with families in the study
Appendix G: Profile of families in the study and details of their contact with children’s social care
Appendix H: Data linked with interviews with parents
Appendix I: Standardised measures
Appendix J: Summary table from case record analysis
Appendix K: Data tables and sources
Chapter
Baginsky, M., Moriarty, J. & Manthorpe, J. (2017) 'Signs of Safety: an evaluation across ten areas in England', in Cinali, C., Ma, J. and Vecchiato, T. (eds), New Perspectives for Outcome-Based Evaluation and Research on Family and Children's Services, Padova: Fondazione Emmanuela Zancan.
Articles
Baginsky, M. (2022) "Parents’ views on improving relationships with their social workers", Journal of Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1177/14680173221101244
Baginsky, M., Moriarty, J. and Manthorpe, J. (2019) "Signs of Safety: lessons learnt from evaluations", Journal of Children's Services, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 107-123. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-11-2018-0028
Conferences
Moriarty, J., Baginsky, M., Manthorpe, J., Beecham, J. & Hickman, B. (2017) 'Signs of Safety: 10 pilots, 10 lessons', Wandsworth Social Work Conference, Wandsworth, 7 September.
Baginsky, M., Moriarty, J. & Manthorpe, J. (2017) 'Signs of Safety: an evaluation across ten areas in England', International Conference on New Perspectives for Outcome-based Evaluation and Research on Family and Children’s Services, Hong Kong, 7 September. [See related blog post]
Moriarty, J., Baginsky, M., Manthorpe, J., Beecham, J., Hickman, B. (2017) ‘Time well spent? How social workers in child protection spend their time', 7th European Conference for Social Work Research, Aalborg, 21 April.
Baginsky, M., Moriarty, J. & Manthorpe, J. (2017) ‘Conducting a multi-site complex evaluation: making sure the methodology survives the seismic wave of reality’, 6th European Conference for Social Work Research, Lisbon, 31 March.
Moriarty, J., Baginsky, M. & Manthorpe, J. (2016) 'Gaining the views of vulnerable families: effective engagement with families and their social workers', 6th European Conference for Social Work Research, Lisbon, 31 March.
Publications
Final Report
Baginsky, M., Moriarty, J., Manthorpe, J., Beecham, J. & Hickman, B. (2017) Evaluation of Signs of Safety in 10 pilots, London: Department for Education.
Appendices to the project report
Appendix A: Theory of change
Appendix B: 10 pilot local authorities
Appendix C: Methodology and analysis
Appendix D: Instruments used
Appendix E: Profiling responses
Appendix F: Background data on social workers working with families in the study
Appendix G: Profile of families in the study and details of their contact with children’s social care
Appendix H: Data linked with interviews with parents
Appendix I: Standardised measures
Appendix J: Summary table from case record analysis
Appendix K: Data tables and sources
Chapter
Baginsky, M., Moriarty, J. & Manthorpe, J. (2017) 'Signs of Safety: an evaluation across ten areas in England', in Cinali, C., Ma, J. and Vecchiato, T. (eds), New Perspectives for Outcome-Based Evaluation and Research on Family and Children's Services, Padova: Fondazione Emmanuela Zancan.
Articles
Baginsky, M. (2022) "Parents’ views on improving relationships with their social workers", Journal of Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1177/14680173221101244
Baginsky, M., Moriarty, J. and Manthorpe, J. (2019) "Signs of Safety: lessons learnt from evaluations", Journal of Children's Services, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 107-123. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-11-2018-0028
Conferences
Moriarty, J., Baginsky, M., Manthorpe, J., Beecham, J. & Hickman, B. (2017) 'Signs of Safety: 10 pilots, 10 lessons', Wandsworth Social Work Conference, Wandsworth, 7 September.
Baginsky, M., Moriarty, J. & Manthorpe, J. (2017) 'Signs of Safety: an evaluation across ten areas in England', International Conference on New Perspectives for Outcome-based Evaluation and Research on Family and Children’s Services, Hong Kong, 7 September. [See related blog post]
Moriarty, J., Baginsky, M., Manthorpe, J., Beecham, J., Hickman, B. (2017) ‘Time well spent? How social workers in child protection spend their time', 7th European Conference for Social Work Research, Aalborg, 21 April.
Baginsky, M., Moriarty, J. & Manthorpe, J. (2017) ‘Conducting a multi-site complex evaluation: making sure the methodology survives the seismic wave of reality’, 6th European Conference for Social Work Research, Lisbon, 31 March.
Moriarty, J., Baginsky, M. & Manthorpe, J. (2016) 'Gaining the views of vulnerable families: effective engagement with families and their social workers', 6th European Conference for Social Work Research, Lisbon, 31 March.
Principal Investigator
Mary Baginsky
Reader in Social Care