Evaluation, Evidence & Impact: Turning Insight into Change
Cavendish Conference Centre, London
Evidence is everywhere in children’s services – but using it well, at pace and with impact, remains one of the sector’s biggest challenges. Organised by Children & Young People Now, the annual Evaluation, Evidence and Impact conference brings together leading thinkers, practitioners and policymakers for a focused, practical day designed to help you strengthen decision-making, improve outcomes and demonstrate what truly works for children, young people and families.
Opening with a state-of-the-nation address from the Centre for Young Lives, the conference sets a critical context: are we genuinely listening to evidence when shaping policy and services? From there, the programme moves rapidly into the future, exploring how AI is reshaping research and evaluation in 2026, and what this means for governance, commissioning and frontline practice.
The day is firmly grounded in real-world application. You will gain practical tools for proportionate evaluation in small organisations, learning how to collect credible evidence without overwhelming staff or communities.
Sessions will include some practical steps for smaller organisations that avoid overwhelming staff and the day closes with a powerful focus on investment and inequality, sharing lessons from the Funding Futures programme on how evidence can be used to target resources where they will make the greatest difference – helping areas beat the odds and close disadvantage gaps early.
Whether you work in local authorities, health, education, voluntary and community organisations, research, commissioning or policy, Evaluation, Evidence and Impact is an essential opportunity to sharpen your practice, learn from peers across the system, and leave equipped to turn evidence into meaningful change. Join us on 26th March 2026 at the Cavendish Conference Centre and be part of shaping smarter, more impactful services for children and families.
Who should attend?
• All practitioners with an interest in service evaluation
• Directors, heads and managers of services for children, young people and families
• Charity chiefs and senior staff
• Commissioners of services
• All practitioners with an interest in service evaluation
• Directors, heads and managers of services for children, young people and families
• Charity chiefs and senior staff
• Commissioners of services
• Heads of strategy
• Quality assurance and performance managers
• Policy advisers and officers
• Early help teams
• Children’s centre managers
• Youth workers
• Safeguarding managers
• Children’s health professionals
• Quality assurance and performance managers
• Policy advisers and officers
• Early help teams
• Children’s centre managers
• Youth workers
• Safeguarding managers
• Children’s health professionals