Practice Frameworks and Models in Children’s Social Care in England: A Narrative Review

Practice frameworks and models are increasingly being used to underpin children’s social care in the United Kingdom, but little is known about the level of evidence supporting their use. The focus of this review was to synthesise evaluations of practice models implemented in statutory children’s social care in England, assessing their impact on children and families receiving support, as well as any evidence of economic benefits to local authorities. We carried out a systematic search of academic and grey literature to identify both locally developed and widely recognised practice frameworks and models. We found 30 papers reporting on 15 individual models. There was little consistency in the components included within frameworks purporting to be informed by the same theoretical approach. Substantial methodological concerns were identified, and only three papers met basic evaluation criteria of including significance testing against an appropriate comparison group. We found limited evidence to support the use of any individual model or approach, which poses important questions about the claims made about their effectiveness overall and the relative merits of any particular model or framework. Nonetheless, our review points to promising features—particularly strengths-based and relationship-focused elements, whole-family approaches, and supportive workforce conditions—which appear valued by families and practitioners and warrant further attention. Future evaluations of such models need to be independently conducted and designed to conform to the standard approaches used to evaluate complex health and social care interventions.