NCERCC’s summer season of new insights #3

Some of us at NCERCC have been catching up with things needing to be written or read, there always a lot of reading to be done. NCERCC partners aim to read 5 pages everyday.

Others are looking at what is on our now 50 year old library shelves.

We are finding gems we have all forgotten about and want to bring back to our collective sector attention in the near future.

What we have found has informed our reflections that as a sector we can know considerably more than we are directed, by people outside, to use in today’s children’s services.

In the media we read of someone outside of the sector championing evidence based practice. We agree.

However, we need to have all the evidence included not just the most recent, the last 5 years have seen markedly different priorities in practice and research.

Some long standing thinking and practice does not have the modern evidence demands but what it does have is lengthy, decades long, evidence by experience  Many such practices might be said to be tried and tested beyond any research protocol. What the sector needs to do now is to show how.

This brings the surprising new insight – we need to invest in the past and as well as the present and future

And we need to think how we can communicate directly with thise who need informed practice support. The Eastern Region Collaborative Children’s Residential Network is on the way to achieving what is needed.