What impact does social care involvement under Section 17 or Section 47 have on children’s mental health and educational outcomes?

It is often assumed that social care involvement under Sections 17 and 47 will be beneficial for children’s mental health and education. However, besides for children taken into care, no study has explored the implications of social care involvement for these outcomes. Remarkably, it remains unknown whether such interventions generally help or hinder children who remain with their families. My study therefore seeks to address a fundamental question: Does social care involvement under Section 17 or Section 47 improve mental health and educational outcomes for children not taken into care? If so, what kind of social care involvement is helpful, and for which children? Understanding whether social care involvement positively influences these outcomes is pivotal for developing targeted interventions that can address the unique needs of vulnerable children. By delving into these questions, we can inform evidence-based practices and policies that contribute to healthier trajectories for at-risk youth. I will use a quasi-experimental design in an unprecedented administrative dataset to investigate mental health and educational outcomes in children with Section 17 or Section 47 social care involvement. Findings will be disseminated through academic papers, reports, blogs, presentations, and through a policy engagement session convened by the National Children’s Bureau.