Understanding costs and outcomes in child welfare services : a comprehensive costing approach to managing your resources / Lisa Holmes and Samantha McDermid.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Holmes, Lisa.

Contributor:

McDermid, Samantha.

Series:

Child welfare outcomes (Jessica Kingsley Publishers)

Child welfare outcomes

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Children--Services for--Great Britain.

Children.

Children--Services for.

Child welfare.

Finance.

Great Britain.

Child welfare--Great Britain--Finance.

Physical Description:

200 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; Philadelphia : Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2012.

Summary:

Today's child welfare services operate under a limited supply of resources, which are being stretched by economic cuts and an increasing number of referrals to children's social care. This book provides a comprehensive costing approach that examines how finite resources can be most effectively used to provide support to the most vulnerable children and their families.

Drawing upon the latest research and data, it outlines a methodology that has been tested in a range of child welfare services. The methodology breaks services down into component parts, creating a 'unit cost' for each type of case and task. This 'bottom-up' approach ensures that costing is consistent and allows for variations specific to each type of case and welfare organisation. By looking explicitly at the links between needs, costs and outcomes, this book gives social care commissioners and managers an indication of the most effective and efficient way to allocate and channel resources. As well as offering these implications for practice, this book will offer policymakers evidence to assess the effectiveness of early intervention and preventative measures.

In providing a detailed assessment of children's needs, costs and outcomes across the full range of child welfare services and cases, this book will be of essential use to both social care professionals with responsibility for commissioning and policy makers who wish to improve the effectiveness of child welfare services. Book jacket.

Contents:

Introduction

The conceptual framework

The calculation of unit costs

Additional services

Understanding children's needs and outcomes

Making use of cost calculations: building and supporting an evidence base

Conclusion: implications for policy and practice.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9781849052146

184905214X

OCLC:

745981026