Journal of Children's Services: Volume 3 Issue 2

Editorial: Less heat, more light

Nick Axford, Michael Little

Using the right design to get the ‘wrong’ answer? Results of a random assignment evaluation of a volunteer tutoring programme

Gary Ritter, Rebecca Maynard

Academically focused tutoring programmes for young children have been promoted widely in the US in various forms as promising strategies for improving academic performance…

Implementing child mental health interventions in service settings: lessons from three pragmatic randomised controlled trials in Wales

Judy Hutchings, Tracey Bywater, Catrin Eames, Pam Martin

This article reports on three pragmatic randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to help children at risk of conduct disorder (CD): two involved the Incredible Years (IY) BASIC parent…

Lessons for conducting random assignment in schools

Gary Ritter, Marc Holley

The use of random assignment can be effective and appropriate in the evaluation of programmes that serve children in schools. Because random assignment creates pre‐treatment…

Linking prevention science and community engagement: a case study of the Ireland Disadvantaged Children and Youth Programme

Nick Axford, Louise Morpeth, Michael Little, Vashti Berry

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are acknowledged to provide the most reliable estimate of programme effectiveness, yet relatively few are undertaken in children's services…

After randomised trials: issues related to dissemination of evidence‐based interventions

Brian Bumbarger, Daniel Perkins

Demonstrating the efficacy and effectiveness of prevention programmes in rigorous randomised trials is only the beginning of a process that may lead to better public health…