Permanently Progressing? Building secure futures for children in Scotland
Permanently Progressing is the first study in Scotland to investigate decision making, permanence, progress, outcomes and belonging for 1,836 children who became ‘looked after’ at home, or were placed away from their birth parents when they were aged five and under in 2012-2013.
AFKA Scotland is working alongside the Universities of Stirling and Lancaster on this longitudinal research, which is planned to have three phases. The study analyses administrative data, surveys and interviews to consider children’s experiences, their routes and times to different forms of permanence, and what supports wellbeing. It is the largest longitudinal study in the UK looking at permanence. Phase One ran from 2014-18, and involved a team from the Universities of Stirling, York, and Lancaster in collaboration with AFKA Scotland.
Phase Two (2020-2024) is revisiting the children in middle childhood to see where they are and how they are doing. It is being jointly funded by a philanthropic donor and the Nuffield Foundation. In Phase One, 19 local authorities participated in surveys and interviews. An even higher number of local authorities have opted to participate in Phase Two, so the research team would like to say a big thank you to all those who have been involved in sharing information about the study.
For any queries about the study, please contact the lead researcher, Dr Helen Whincup.
Resources:
- Permanently Progressing study website
- Phase One Reports
- Phase Two Reports
- Annual Update on Permanently Progressing Phase 2 Spring 2023_