Finding the evidence: Child health

Finding the evidence: Child health
PHE Knowledge & Library Services updated September 2021

• This resource helps people working across the health system to identify information and evidence relating to children’s, young people’s and maternal health and wellbeing. It highlights a range of organisations and information sources providing reliable information, guidance, statistics, current awareness and research. Guidance on how to effectively search for evidence is also included.

Child Mortality and Social Deprivation

Child Mortality and Social Deprivation Thematic Report
HQIP 13 May 2021

• The aim of this work was to identify, and quantify, any association between measures of deprivation and childhood mortality in the data reported to the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) over the 2019/20 year. 
• There was a clear association between the risk of death and the level of deprivation for children who died in England between April 2019 and March 2020. This association appeared to exist for all categories of death except malignancy.

Building a country that works for all children post COVID-19

Building a country that works for all children post COVID-19
Association of Directors of Children’s Services 14 July 2020

• A discussion paper on the impacts of COVID-19 on children and their families, in order to put their lived experiences front and centre in national recovery planning whilst also articulating what is needed to restore and reset the support services they rely on.
• Press Release

Local vulnerability [child] profiles

Local vulnerability [child] profiles
Children's Commissioner 25 April 2020

• The Children’s Commissioner’s local area profiles of child vulnerability provide a way for councils to understand which groups of children are likely to be at risk under lockdown, and how many children in their area fall into those groups. A live, evolving resource that will be updates with additional data and new features.
• See commentary on the profiles: We’re all in this together?

2020 child health profiles

2020 child health profiles
PHE 3 March 2020

• Profiles providing an overview of child health and wellbeing for each local authority in England.

The multi-agency response to child sexual abuse in the family environment

The multi-agency response to child sexual abuse in the family environment
Ofsted, Care Quality Commission, HM Inspectorate of Probation, and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services 4 February 2020

• This report summarises findings of joint targeted area inspections of ‘the multi-agency response to child sexual abuse in the family environment’ September 2018 to May 2019. It calls on professionals to give sexual abuse a higher priority in local areas, through improved training and awareness-raising of the problem.

Integrated Care Models and Child Health: A Meta-analysis

Integrated Care Models and Child Health: A Meta-analysis
Pediatrics January 2020, 145 (1) e20183747; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-3747

• Analysis of the published research on integrated child health systems (18 interventions) indicates that integrated care for children and young people with ongoing conditions may deliver improved QoL and cost savings. The effects of integrated care on outcomes including ED visits is unclear.

Integrated Care Models and Child Health: A Meta-analysis

Integrated Care Models and Child Health: A Meta-analysis
Pediatrics January 2020, 145 (1) e20183747; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-3747

• Analysis of 23 studies (18 interventions) of the effects of integrated care models on child health, suggest that they may deliver cost savings and improved Quality of Life, but do not have an impact on A&E attendance.

Abstract

A health care system that works for all children

A health care system that works for all children
Association of Directors of Children’s Services 21 November 2019

• This paper on children’s health and wellbeing, outlines what a health care system that works for all children looks like. It highlights several barriers to children and young people achieving the best possible health and wellbeing.

A guide to commissioning outcomes for young people

A guide to commissioning outcomes for young people
National Youth Agency October 2019

• This guide provides information for local authority commissioners on how to involve young people throughout the commissioning process, and commission effectively for outcomes. This includes involving young people in analysing what young people need, defining outcomes, delivering and evaluating services. 
• The guide also demonstrates how youth work and youth workers could be commissioned to deliver outcomes. It provides five examples of commissioning challenges that local authorities are working on for young people. Each challenge is accompanied by a corresponding description of how youth work can be used to deliver the intended outcome. 
• The examples cover supporting young people in family breakdown, improve placement stability of looked after young people, preventing child sexual exploitation, improving emotional wellbeing, and improving educational inclusion for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The guide also highlights an outcomes framework for young people to help local authorities looking to commission outcomes through a youth service. (Edited publisher abstract)

Local authority interactive tool (LAIT) about children and young people

Local authority interactive tool (LAIT)
Department for Education Updated September 2019

• An interactive spreadsheet for comparing data about children and young people  (including SEND and children's health) across all local authorities in England.

Key Data on Young People

Key Data on Young People 2019
Association for Young People's Health September 2019

• A compilation of robust and representative information to give a full picture of the health and wellbeing of young people (aged 10-24) in the UK. including Population and overall health, Health behaviours, Sexual health and identity, Physical health, long term conditions and disability, Wellbeing and mental health, Promotion and use of health services and Inequalities in health outcomes

CAPRICORN framework

Collaborative approaches to preventing offending and re-offending by children (CAPRICORN)
PHE 14 July 2019

• Children and young people who are in contact with the justice system have worse health outcomes than children in the general population. This resource outlines how health, education, social care, criminal justice, voluntary sector services and others can work together to stop children and young people offending.

Birth characteristics in England and Wales: 2017

Birth characteristics in England and Wales: 2017
ONS 10 January 2019

• Analysis and data on annual birth statistics, including birthweight, gestation, age of mother, ethnicity, place of birth (including Home), multiple births and stillbirths. Summary birth statistics for the UK by area of usual residence are also included

Healthy Child Programme: rapid review on safeguarding

Healthy Child Programme: rapid review on safeguarding
PHE 12 February 2018

• This rapid review updates the evidence regarding safeguarding guidance in the context of the Healthy Child Programme for children aged 5 to 19, focusing on prevention and early intervention.

Child Health General Practice Hubs

Child Health General Practice Hubs: a service evaluation.
Arch Dis Child. 2016 Apr;101(4): 333-7

• Hubs (based in a London hospital) involved hospital paediatricians and GPs participating in joint clinics, and MDT meetings in GP practices. 
• Outcomes were dependant on Hub size but included reduced new referrals; reduced admissions and A&E attenders as well as a shift of appointments from hospital to GP practices. In addition high patient satisfaction ratings and learning opportunities for professionals.

Child Health General Practice Hubs: a service evaluation

Child Health General Practice Hubs: a service evaluation
Archives of Disease in Childhood 2016;101:333-337.

Abstract

Outcomes based commissioning of children's early intervention and prevention services

Commissioning for outcomes across children’s services and health and social care 

Social Finance, October 2015

• A summary of discussions with children s and health care commissioners about the challenges they face and the value of outcomes based commissioning, in particular in the context of early intervention and preventative services, and the use of Social Impact Bonds. 

Child safeguarding serious case reviews - learning for primary care

GPs and primary healthcare teams: learning from case reviews
NSPCC, August 2015

• Learning from child safeguarding serious case review reports, highlighting risk factors and key learning for improved practice.
• In particular the analysis highlights the key issues for GPs and primary healthcare teams in spotting the early signs of child abuse and neglect, their role in co-ordinating the work of different agencies supporting children and families.

Tackling child sexual exploitation

Tackling child sexual exploitation
Home Office 3 March 2015

• This report sets out how the government is tackling child sexual exploitation and responding to the failures that have been identified in recent reviews into child sexual exploitation. It includes a comprehensive and targeted set of actions for all parts of the system including healthcare, social care, education, law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. 
• See the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges guidance on improving recognition of child sexual exploitation and response in health settings (Sept 2014)