Current Students and Staff

// University News

3 Apr 2014

CCFR commissioned by Scottish Government

The Centre for Child and Family Research (CCFR) has been commissioned by the Scottish Government to develop a tool to calculate the cost of services provided to children in care. 

The Cost Calculator for Children’s Services (CCfCS) has been developed by CCFR researchers to help local authorities cost the services and placements they provide to looked-after children.

It uses the unit costs of social work activities as the basis for building up the costs over time of placements and part placements, taking into account diversity in children’s needs, placement type and local authority procedures.

Until now, the tool has only been applied in England, but over the next 10 months CCFR staff will work with local authorities in Scotland to ensure the calculator is accurate for the Scottish system.

Samantha McDermid, a senior research associate from CCFR (a Social Sciences research centre) said:

“The costs programme is well established in England and this project provides us with an important opportunity to extend the programme into Scotland.”

View the full press release.