Since 2014 the Department for Education has provided over £300 million of funding to a range of “innovation projects”, intended to help local authorities improve outcomes for children and improve value for money children’s social care.
In June 2024, the National Audit Office noted DfE’s exemplary approach to evaluation and learning in the programme.
The Committee will question the senior responsible officials at DfE on how this “Innovation Programme” and its successors were rolled out, how DfE evaluates the success of such projects, and how the approach is being applied to other policy development processes, including decisions on funding.
If you have evidence on how DfE funds, oversees and evaluates children’s social care innovation projects please submit it here by Thursday 1 September 2022.