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Registration, refreshments and exhibitor viewing
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Welcome and introduction
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Children and Young People’s Policy: What does the evidence say – and are we listening to it?
This state of the nation presentation will look at how the children and young people’s sector uses evidence to shape services and policy. Taking a wide-reaching look at the state of policy making for children and young people, it will ask: Is a lack of evidence getting in the way of good policy decisions? Are we building the evidence base enough as a sector? In what ways should we listen to evidence and for what purpose?
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How AI is being used for research and evaluation in 2026
As it continues to proliferate through every aspect of our lives, this presentation will look at how AI in its various forms is being used in research and evaluation of children and young people’s services. It will explore the applications of AI through the evaluation cycle from study conception to design through analysis and into interpretation. It will also highlight the latest developments in policy, governance, commissioning and training.
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Refreshments and exhibitor viewing
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Proportionate and practical evaluation for small organisations: how to collect credible evidence without overwhelming staff
In this session, delegates will learn how to:
• Design a proportional evaluation approach that focuses on the minimum evidence needed to demonstrate impact credibly
• Collect meaningful qualitative and quantitative data, including involving children, young people and families in ways that genuinely add value
• Avoid common evaluation pitfalls and make better decisions about when to build internal capacity and when to bring in external support
BREAKOUT SESSIONS (choose 1A, 1B or 1C)
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1A Methods evaluating systemic change: the use of ripple effects mapping
Presentation
Evaluation of systemic change programmes and complex systems interventions requires us to adapt our approach due to their inherent complexities. One method useful for examining cross-system influences and impacts is Ripple Effects Mapping. In this workshop delegates will discover what Ripple Effects Mapping is and explore how it can be used to examine how change spreads through a system to have intended and unintended consequences.
Speakers
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1B From lived experience to evidence: how young inspectors are raising the bar in youth services evaluation
Presentation
This session showcases how Enfield’s Young Inspectors programme empowers young people to operate as trained evaluators, generating credible insight into the quality, accessibility, and impact of youth services. Delegates will explore how young inspectors are recruited, trained and supported to carry out structured inspections, gather evidence, and influence real service improvement. The session will also share practical tools, challenges, and transferable lessons for embedding authentic youth-led evaluation within youth services.
Speakers
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1C Measuring complex relational concepts: child-centred research with children in kinship care, fostering and adoption
Presentation
This session will explore the opportunities, challenges and learning involved in conducting child-centred research with children in contact with the social care system and with other vulnerable family backgrounds. Drawing on BookTrust’s co-design and evaluative work, it will consider how relational outcomes, such as bonding and attachment, can be understood and evidenced and the challenges of measuring complex, abstract concepts. The session will reflect on navigating methodological and ethical tensions and provide examples of research designs and tools suited to sensitive, relational work with families that centres the experience of the child.
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Lunch and exhibitor viewing
Break
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Evaluating early help: learning from the first ever pilot RCT in early help
Presentation
In this session, delegates will:
• Discover how systemic approaches have been embedded in early help delivery in local authorities across England as part of the randomised controlled trial (RCT)
• Find out more about impact evaluation in early help – what works and what doesn’t. This includes insights on collecting validated outcome measures with families and children; barriers and enablers to implementation; and experiences of tracking family progress on outcomes
• Explore what this means for social care reform
Speakers
BREAKOUT SESSIONS (choose 2A, 2B or 2C)
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2A The importance and measurement of self-criticism in children and adolescents
Presentation
Self-criticism is a key antecedent of mental health disorders. However, its measurement in children has been limited because of the lack of suitable specific measures. This session will introduce two newly developed and validated measures of self-criticism for children and adolescents. It will cover:
• How the voices of children and young people informed development
• The contexts in which the measures can be applied
• How to use self-criticism measures in practice
Speaker
Chartered Psychologist and Compassion in Education Lead
University of Derby
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2B Strengths-based system insight: what appreciative enquiry taught us in Blackpool
Presentation
Better Start has led the transformation of early years services in Blackpool over the past decade. Gathering data and evidence on what works and maintaining systems improvements has been critical to enable continuous learning. This presentation will share examples of how Appreciative Inquiry has been used to guide improvement work, covering:
• Application of Appreciative Inquiry with systems and services
• Taking learning into action and ongoing monitoring of impact
• Encouraging reflective practice and strength-based approaches
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2C Using real-time data to drive measurable change in tackling childhood obesity
Presentation
This workshop explores how real-time data can transform the way health and care services respond to childhood obesity and related complications. It will show how statistical process control was applied to track the impact of tests of change on the quality of care and explore how this approach can be adapted to achieve measurable improvements in other areas.
Speakers
Consultant Paediatrician
Royal London Children’s Hospital and East London Community Eating Disorder Service for Children and Young People
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Refreshments and exhibitor viewing
Break
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How to use evidence to target investment for maximum impact
Presentation
The Funding Futures programme has used national statistical modelling and qualitative fieldwork to identify the combination of local conditions, investment choices and system behaviours associated with areas that have successfully beaten the odds at closing the disadvantage gap.
This session will:
• Summarise key findings from the Funding Futures research
• Outline how local authorities can understand and visualise their relative performance on early childhood outcomes and benchmark against statistical neighbours
• Explore how this can drive effective local policy and action to narrow gaps early and put disadvantaged children on a positive trajectory
Speakers
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Sum-up and close of conference