A roundup of new research projects relevant to local authority children's services http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie Creative Partnerships is the flagship programme of Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE), the national organisation which aims to develop the skills of children and young people across England, raising their aspirations, achievements and life chances. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8648&level=2&detail=news In the light of recent independent reviews of safeguarding and child protection, the Local Government (LG) Group commissioned the NFER to capture Local Authority (LA) approaches to developing safeguarding practices in a changing policy landscape. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8629&level=2&detail=news This small study presents a critical, thematic analysis of recommendations from 33 of the serious case reviews (cases of child death or serious injury through abuse or neglect) completed in 2009-2010. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8622&level=2&detail=news The Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre (CWRC) have been commissioned by the Department for Education to undertake a study to draw together data on safeguarding children and to compare the current position of England with other countries. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8623&level=2&detail=news In April 2009, GHK Consulting was commissioned by the Child Poverty Unit (CPU) to undertake the national evaluation of the Local Authority Child Poverty Innovation Pilot (LAIP). http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8626&level=2&detail=news This brief report summarises the views of a number of professionals, involved in managing and overseeing local child protection arrangements, on the value of including a set of lead indicators within these local performance management arrangements. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8630&level=2&detail=news The Family Pathfinder programme announced in the Children's Plan (2007) aimed to develop and test the effectiveness of intensive, family focused approaches to addressing the needs of families who face multiple and complex problems. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8631&level=2&detail=news The LG Group commissioned NFER to carry out an evaluation of the National Youth Agency's (NYA) Engagement Network which aims to support young people who are NEET to have a voice and shape local provision for young people through local projects. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8649&level=2&detail=news This report draws together research commissioned from the NFER by the Wellcome Trust aiming to provide a deeper understanding of young people's attitudes to science education. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8650&level=2&detail=news The Local Government Group commissioned NFER to capture local authority (LA) perspectives on how the parents of children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) and of Learners with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LLDD) will be affected by the Green Paper. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8612&level=2&detail=news This report is based on research commissioned by CfBT Education Trust and conducted by the National Youth Agency in 2010/11. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8580&level=2&detail=news York Consulting was commissioned by Action for Children to undertake research to articulate how Action for Children professionals develop effective relationships with vulnerable parents and how this makes a difference for children and young people. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8576&level=2&detail=news The number of disabled children receiving short breaks more than doubled between April 2008 and March 2011, with increases in every area of the country, according to a summary report of the findings of research from Together for Disabled Children, commissioned by the Government. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8563&level=2&detail=news Myplace is a major Government programme arising from Aiming high for young people: a ten year strategy for positive activities. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8559&level=2&detail=news The SHINE Trust commissioned NFER to evaluate the impact of its SHINE on Saturdays programme in 2010. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8553&level=2&detail=news Report on research commissioned from the NFER by the LG Group on young people's aspirations in three rural local authorities (LAs): Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Cumbria. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8611&level=2&detail=news A report commissioned by the Local Government Group, examining how identified effective practice examples have been, or could be, replicated and sustained, with a view to informing guidelines for future practice. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8540&level=2&detail=news The Effective Provision of Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education (EPPSE 3-16) project is a large scale, longitudinal, mixed-methods research study that has followed the progress of 3000+ children since 1997 from the age of 3 to 16 years. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8502&level=2&detail=news Isos Partnership were commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) in September 2010 to undertake an evaluation of the Phase 2 trials of Raising the Participation Age (RPA). http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8503&level=2&detail=news This research report examines the findings from an evaluation of the Sinnott Fellowship, which was set up to learn from some of the best practitioners in schools in outward‐facing work http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8508&level=2&detail=news Research commissioned by the then Department for Children, Schools and Families from the Family and Parenting Institute, in partnership with the Campaign for Learning, to help identify what nurseries and other early years settings could do to better support parents to develop their children's learning at home. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8501&level=2&detail=news This project looks at what is known about the early communication environment in a child's first two years of life, and the role this plays in preparing children for school. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8504&level=2&detail=news In July 2010, the Food for Life Partnership (FFLP) commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research to undertake a qualitative evaluation of the FFLP programme. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/emie/detail.asp?id_content=4088&id_category=277&id_Ref=8473&level=2&detail=news