5 Recommendations for research

5 Recommendations for research

The Public Health Interventions Advisory Committee (PHIAC) recommends that the following research questions should be addressed. It notes that 'effectiveness' in this context relates not only to the size of the effect, but also to cost effectiveness and duration of effect. It also takes into account any harmful/negative side effects.

5.1 How effective are interventions to promote social and emotional wellbeing among, and reduce the vulnerability of, different groups of vulnerable children aged under 5 years?

5.2 How can the factors that pose a risk to, or protect, the social and emotional wellbeing of children aged under 5 years be identified and assessed to determine how children can benefit from different interventions?

5.3 What approaches can be used to ensure fathers and grandparents help protect or improve the social and emotional wellbeing of vulnerable children aged under 5 years?

5.4 What types of home-based intervention are effective in promoting the social and emotional wellbeing of vulnerable children aged under 5 years without involving the parents? (This could include childcare provided by other family members or childminders.)

5.5 How can interventions which have been proven effective in other countries be assessed for their cultural relevance to the UK? What measures should be used to assess how transferrable they are?

5.6 What organisational mechanisms can ensure interventions to improve the social and emotional wellbeing and 'readiness for school' of vulnerable children aged under 5 years are effectively implemented? How do these differ according to the local context?

5.7 What are the short, medium and long-term economic benefits of interventions aimed at developing the emotional and social skills of vulnerable, preschool children – for the individual, family and wider society? How should these be assessed?

5.8 What indicators and datasets should be used to measure and predict social and emotional wellbeing over time? Which indicators and datasets can be used to assess the long-term benefits of interventions aimed at improving the social and emotional wellbeing of vulnerable children aged under 5 years?

More detail on the gaps in the evidence identified during development of this guidance is provided in appendix D.

  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)