Children’s Social Care Research and Development Centre
Written by Rachael Vaughan The involvement of those with lived experience has always been at the core of CASCADE’s values. Even before its inception in 2014, CASCADE worked in partnership with the care experienced young people at Voices From Care Cymru. As such they are part of the center’s foundations. However, since then, both CASCADE… Read More
Written by Elaine Speyer As part of a research project looking at ethnic and religious inequality within child and family social services, we have been working with a group of parents, supported by EYST. The group has been set up to advise on the research project, so that it is relevant, and brings real benefits… Read More
Written by Professor Sally Holland It feels like the blink of an eye since we launched CASCADE in May 2014 and quite a few people have asked me how on earth CASCADE got started. Do you just declare a research centre exists? Is there an application process? Did someone ask you to do it? The… Read More
Written by Professor Sally Holland CASCADE is leading a large and complex evaluation of an exciting pilot in Wales. This pilot involves over 600 care leavers aged 18 in Wales. They are being paid a basic income that is the equivalent to the living wage for two years between the ages of 18 and 20.… Read More
Written by Elaine Speyer Back at the end of the summer, when I heard that I had been successful in my application and interview for a PhD, I was surprised, excited, and petrified all at once! My start date was not long after, so I didn’t have much time for it to all sink in,… Read More
By Josie Keam This blog is a summary of the most recent CASCADE Voices Young People’s Advisory Group session which took place in March 2024. In my second week in my new role as Children, Young People, and Family Involvement Worker, Rachael and myself planned and led the March CASCADE Voices session with the young… Read More
By Elaine Speyer Young people had the chance to meet with an advocate and find out more about the services they provide and how to access them. We found out that young people enjoy living in Wales and would love to explore more of it. They are keen to make new friends and to learn… Read More
By Josie Keam This blog is an introduction to the Engagement team’s new starter, Josie and her time so far in her new role. My name is Josie and I recently started as Child, Young Person, and Family Involvement Worker, joining Rachael, Elaine, and Phil in the Engagement Team. Although I’m not new to CASCADE… Read More
The study used existing data collected by social services and health services in Wales to look at the households children were living in before they entered care. Those households were then compared to the rest of the households in Wales from which no children entered care. It focused particularly on the sorts of problems that… Read More
By Phil Lambert In December our CASCADE Parents Research Advisory Group gathered on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Cardiff to try our hands at pottery. We were hosted by Cardiff Pottery Workshop who expertly guided us through a hand building exercise and introduced us to the electric wheel! The aim of the day… Read More
