In 2024, CASCADE proudly celebrates a decade of transformative impact on children’s social care. Our ten-year journey has been marked by groundbreaking studies and significant contributions to policy and practice in children’s social care.

Over these years, CASCADE has delved into numerous research areas, profoundly influencing how care is administered and policies are formulated. Our 10th anniversary is not just a milestone but a testament to the relentless pursuit of excellence and the tangible changes we’ve effected in children’s lives and the broader social care landscape.

To honour this landmark year, we’re hosting an Exchange conference that revisits our past research through multiple webinars, a podcast series that dives into different topics that matter to us and the future of children’s social care, and so much more, all leading up to the 23rd of May and 10th Anniversary event.




Our official CASCADE birthday is on May 23rd. On this day, we will celebrate CASCADE with a partnership event featuring explorations of our past and present research, guest speakers, performances, and a big look back at all that CASCADE has achieved.

Please note that this event is by invitation only, but video recordings and stills from the event will be published here after the event.



CASCADE: 10 Years of Influencing Policy and Practice

2024 marks 10 years since the inception of CASCADE, the Centre for Children’s Social Care Research and Development. It is the home of ExChange Wales and one of the largest, leading research centres of its type in the UK.

During CASCADE’s first 10 years we have undertaken and been involved in many studies across a wide variety of areas of children’s social care. To celebrate our 10-year anniversary, we aim to revisit some of those studies and consider what impact they have had on policy and practice.

Five topics are being presented during this conference series, via live webinars, which will run alongside a CASCADE podcast series. The webinars include ‘Impact of the Looked After Children and Education (LACE) research’ led by Professor Dawn Mannay, ‘Rights focused social work’ led by Professor Donald Forrester (book launch), ‘Child Criminal Exploitation’ led by Dr Nina Maxwell, ‘Improving practice with fathers in children’s services’

Webinars

Enabling talk and reframing messages: Working creatively and collaboratively to create impact from the accounts of care experienced children and young people

Professor Dawn Mannay

Dawn will present on the impact of the Looked After Children in Education (LACE) research, one of CASCADE’s most well known and successful research programmes from the last 10 years.


“It’s never going to work for him, he just wants to die”: Working with stakeholders to enhance responses to child criminal exploitation

Dr Nina Maxwell

This session will provide an overview of our work on child criminal exploitation in Wales.

The session will consider how the research team engaged with young people, parents and professionals to ensure the research added value to existing practice.


Improving practice with fathers in children’s services

Professor Jonathan Scourfield

There is a long-standing and ongoing problem of practice in children’s services focusing primarily on mothers and failing to properly engage fathers (the term used here in an inclusive sense).

This webinar will introduce the issue and then describe research-based training and organisation development designed to improve the situation.


An exclusive 50% discount code will be offered to attendees purchasing the book.




At CASCADE, we are excited to announce our new series of podcasts that delve deep into various themes and topics that matter to us. Join us and explore these topics together.

What’s the point of research for children’s social care?

Sally Holland & Donald Forrester

Why is changing children’s social care so difficult?

Donald Forrester, Clive Diaz & Lorna Stabler

A Public Health Approach to Tackling Harms and Inequalities

Sally Holland,
Martin Elliott & Nell Warner

How has Public Involvement inspired CASCADE?

Jen & Sally Holland

How can we know we make a difference?

Donald Forrester, Sally Holland & David Westlake

CASCADE 10: "How can we know we make a difference?" with Sally Holland, Donald Forrester and David Westlake CASCADE Talks

  1. CASCADE 10: "How can we know we make a difference?" with Sally Holland, Donald Forrester and David Westlake
  2. CASCADE 10 – "How has Public Involvement inspired CASCADE over the last ten years?" with Jen and Sally Holland
  3. CASCADE 10 – "A Public Health Approach to Tackling Harms and Inequalities" with Nell Warner, Martin Elliott and Sally Holland
  4. CASCADE 10 – "Why is changing children's social care so difficult?" with Lorna Stabler, Clive Diaz and Donald Forrester
  5. CASCADE 10 – 10 Years: An Introduction with Sally Holland and Donald Forrester