Summary report: Scoping the feasibility of a new longitudinal birth cohort study of children at risk of poor outcomes across the UK

This project explored the feasibility of establishing a new UK-wide longitudinal birth cohort study focused on enhanced recruitment and retention of vulnerable children at risk of poor outcomes, particularly those likely to become involved with early interventions or children’s social care services. The project found a strong policy appetite and clear research need for a new longitudinal birth cohort study, capturing lifelong experiences of children at risk. Although challenging (with the requirement for further governance and ethical considerations), the findings lead to three main study designs (recommendations): enhanced recruitment of mothers (including those living in disadvantaged circumstances) whose children may be at greater risk, as part of a populationwide study; recruitment based on maternal health records to recruit mothers with recorded adversities within a defined period pre-birth; or a targeted study capturing observations and outcomes of children already involved in children’s social care. We also outline an alternative or complementary strategy through linkage to administrative records. This report provides a brief, accessible overview of the main findings. Readers are encouraged to consult the main report [CLS website link to be inserted] for the findings in full including methodology, all data tables, and discussion. The project was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) under the Transforming Data Collections Infrastructure for Social Science initiative (Grant No. UKRI109). It brought together an interdisciplinary UK-wide team from Swansea University, University College London, Ulster University, Cardiff University and the National Centre for Social Research, supported by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory.