Evaluating a school-based intervention through routine local authority data and national school data: Challenges and opportunities

ObjectivesThe Department for Education funded local authorities (LAs) in England to embed social workers into schools (SWIS) so that they can work more effectively with teachers, children and families. A two-arm cluster randomised-controlled trial is evaluating the effect of SWIS compared to schools without on referrals to Children’s Social Care. ApproachLAs collate information about all children who are referred to Children’s Social Care within their authority. A case report form has been developed by the trial team to collect school-level information on child protection enquiries, referrals, child in need assessments and numbers of days children spent in state care. Cost data are also included for an economic evaluation. LAs return a completed dataset each quarter, reporting aggregate numbers by school and year group. Data on attendance and attainment will be requested separately from the National Pupil Database (NPD) in 2023. ResultsQuarterly (n=6) data was supplied for 291 schools across 21 LAs. We will focus on this method of data collection and its challenges and opportunities. Relying on 21 external parties to provide all trial data in a timely manner brought risks to the collation of trial outcome data but has reduced the overall costs of data collection. LAs work with a number of different (and changing) IT systems, many of which are not compatible with each other. This, along with personnel changes in data teams, has led to delays. Receiving aggregate data limits the amount of quality control possible, therefore detailed guidance mitigated potential data input errors. Working with LAs to develop and refine these guidance materials at the outset paid dividends. ConclusionUsing routine LA data is a novel cost-efficient approach to collecting trial outcome data at scale. However, the disjointed and varying data architecture that exists in LAs presents practical challenges. This means we relied on good working relationships with the LAs, including regular communication and collaborative problem solving.

The SWIS trial: Protocol of a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial of school based social work

BACKGROUND

Child and family social workers in the UK work closely with other agencies including schools and the police, and typically they are based in local authority offices. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of placing social workers in schools (SWIS) on the need for social care interventions. SWIS was piloted in three local authorities in 2018-2020, and findings from a feasibility study of the pilots suggests SWIS may operate through three key pathways: (1) by enhancing schools' response to safeguarding issues, (2) through increased collaboration between social workers, school staff, and parents, and (3) by improving relationships between social workers and young people.

METHODS

The study is a two-arm pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial building on three feasibility studies which found SWIS to be promising. Social workers will work within secondary schools across local authorities in England. 280 mainstream secondary schools will be randomly allocated with a 1:1 ratio to SWIS or a comparison arm, which will be schools that continue as normal, without a social worker. The primary outcome will be the rate of Child Protection (Section 47) enquiries. Secondary outcomes will comprise rate of referrals to children's social care, rate of Child in Need (Section 17) assessments, days spent in care, and educational attendance and attainment. The study also includes an economic evaluation, and an implementation and process evaluation. Social care outcomes will be measured in July 2022, and educational outcomes will be measured in July 2023. Days in care will be measured at both time points.

DISCUSSION

Findings will explore the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of SWIS on the need for social care interventions. A final report will be published in January 2024.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study was registered retrospectively with the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number registry on 13.11.2020 (ISRCTN90922032).

Effect of nitrate injection on the microbial community in an oil field as monitored by reverse sample genome probing

The reverse sample genome probe (RSGP) method, developed for monitoring the microbial community in oil fields with a moderate subsurface temperature, has been improved by (i) isolation of a variety of heterotrophic bacteria and inclusion of their genomes on the oil field master filter and (ii) use of phosphorimaging technology for the rapid quantitation of hybridization signals. The new master filter contains the genomes of 30 sulfate-reducing, 1 sulfide-oxidizing, and 16 heterotrophic bacteria. Most have been identified by partial 16S rRNA sequencing. Use of improved RSGP in monitoring the effect of nitrate injection in an oil field indicated that the sulfide-oxidizing, nitrate-reducing isolate CVO (a Campylobacter sp.) becomes the dominant community component immediately after injection. No significant enhancement of other community members, including the sulfate-reducing bacteria, was observed. The elevated level of CVO decayed at most sampling sites within 30 days after nitrate injection was terminated. Chemical analyses indicated a corresponding decrease and subsequent increase in sulfide concentrations. Thus, transient injection of a higher potential electron acceptor into an anaerobic subsurface system can have desirable effects (i.e., reduction of sulfide levels) without a permanent adverse influence on the resident microbial community.

Phase I study of divided-dose vinblastine in advanced malignancy

Thirty-one patients with advanced malignancy received vinblastine as an iv bolus at 0 and 48 hours of a 21-day cycle. Divided-dose vinblastine may be given with acceptable toxicity in heavily pretreated patients; leukopenia and neuropathy were the dose-limiting toxic effects. One patient with breast cancer and one with ovarian cancer responded. Serum vinblastine levels with this program approximate those achieved by a 5-day continuous infusion of vinblastine in standard dose.