This report, the third to be produced by Coram’s Innovation Incubator, seeks to collate projects and approaches developed from across the sector in a bid to tackle key challenges faced by children’s services by thinking in new ways. It offers a space for lessons to be shared, products and approaches to be known about and the opportunity to celebrate the people effecting change across the country as a collective force for positive change.
Download the full report here.
Innovation is the creation or adoption of new ideas, methods, or products. It encompasses both technological advancements and novel approaches in various fields. Innovation is the catalyst for positive change. It fuels progress, fosters economic development and shapes our future.
Innovation can happen at any stage in the development of an organisation or service and at any level within it. It can feature simply replication and adaptation or, on rare occasions, a completely new approach. Yet it always requires an innovator, an individual champion who drives change and fosters an environment where others feel empowered to embrace change.
What is standard practice in one context may be innovation in another. In a regulated sector, ensuring equitable access and outcomes for children demands a commitment to continuous improvement.
Not all innovation delivers real value – some ideas may seem ground-breaking but prove unsustainable. An innovation that seems brilliant, but cannot be afforded or accessed, is not the basis for sustainable change.
So much in children’s social care is relational, and technology cannot replace a hug or a meal. Instead, innovation in this space focuses on the liberation of time through improved processes and increasing access and personalisation – themes explored in the first chapter of this report.
There is a keen desire to understand and harness the benefits of AI, data and research. This report highlights three organisations? which are seeking to facilitate and harness them: the UK Centre for AI in the Public Sector, Nuffield’s Children’s Information Project, and the Coram Institute for Children.
Ultimately, existing or new methods of working depend on people. The chapter on workforce recruitment and retention showcases some of the ways that the sector is seeking to rise to the challenges of workforce sufficiency and to ensure cultural competency and diversity in both process and practice.
There is a strong focus on service methods and inclusion approaches in relation to child and adolescent mental health, whilst the chapter on early help and intervention features the issues of engagement and creative approaches as well as cross-organisational working.
Meanwhile, efforts to enhance access to services for 16- and 17-year-olds and to improve stability, identity and connection for children in care and care leavers illustrate the difference that can be made, with a particular focus on how acting on the views of children and young people can help make life good.
All of the examples in this report are evidence of a collective aspiration to lead in the creation of better outcomes for children.
Dr Carol Homden,
Chief Executive Officer
About the Coram Innovation Incubator
Children’s chances in life still depend on where they live and who they live with, and 2.3 million children are living with risk in the UK. In the digital-first generation, up to 1 in 6 children face mental health challenges. Resources available do not reflect the scale of need and there are unacceptable variations in availability and quality of services, education and childcare.
The Coram Innovation Incubator exists to meet these challenges. As a membership organisation for leaders and managers within children’s services, we support our members to develop, test, evaluate and scale innovative solutions that improve the quality and impact of children’s services. We facilitate, celebrate and catalyse innovations that lead to significant and sustained impacts on children’s life chances.
Innovation is the creation or adoption of new ideas, methods, or products. It encompasses both technological advancements and novel approaches in various fields. Innovation is the catalyst for positive change. It fuels progress, fosters economic development and shapes our future.
“Being part of the Coram Innovation Incubator has been absolutely beneficial to us. We have learned so much along the way and the generating and sharing of ideas, has encouraged innovation within our LA.” –Aneesa Kaprie, Transformation Lead, London Borough of Bromley
Contents
Chapter 1: Data and Digital Innovation
Digital and AI-driven solutions are reshaping children’s social care, improving service delivery, better supporting professionals and enhancing engagement with children and their families. AI-powered policy assistants, automated case note summarisation, digital life story work and ethical data frameworks are just a handful of the technologies already transforming the landscape.
A major trend is the drive for automation and efficiency. AI tools like North Yorkshire’s AI Policy Buddy and HelpFirst’s case management solutions reduce administrative workloads, enabling practitioners to focus on direct support.
However, challenges remain. Many practitioners are hesitant to adopt AI, concerned about job displacement or reliability. Data security is another key issue, requiring stringent safeguards to protect vulnerable users. Integration with existing systems is often difficult due to fragmented digital infrastructures, and securing sustainable funding for these innovations remains a persistent challenge.
Despite these barriers, AI and digital tools are set to redefine social care. The case studies in this chapter illustrate a shift towards a more agile, data-driven future. Robust training and clear evidence of benefits are clearly vital to fostering confidence. Ethical innovation, collaboration, and user-centred design are all essential to ensuring that digital transformation leads to lasting, positive change in children’s social care.
Chapter 2: Cultural Competence, Diversity and Inclusion
Ensuring that children’s services effectively support diverse communities requires a deep commitment to cultural competence, anti-racism, and inclusion. This chapter explores initiatives that equip practitioners with the skills, knowledge, and frameworks to engage meaningfully with children, young people, and families from different cultural backgrounds while embedding these practices into policy and service delivery.
Collectively, the initiatives in this chapter demonstrate the increasing commitment of children’s services to equity and inclusion. By striving for cultural competence, diversity and inclusion, service providers can create environments that genuinely celebrate diversity while ensuring equitable outcomes for all children and families.
Chapter 3: Workforce Recruitment and Retention
A strong, well-supported workforce is the foundation of effective children’s services. Recruiting and retaining high-quality staff is essential for ensuring stability, consistency, and excellence in service delivery. This chapter explores approaches being trialled across the sector to attract, develop, and retain talent, while fostering workplace environments that value and empower staff.
The initiatives highlighted in this chapter underscore the importance of investing in workforce sustainability. By embracing innovative recruitment strategies, fostering professional growth, and prioritising staff wellbeing, children’s services can create resilient, motivated teams empowered to deliver high quality support to children and families.
Chapter 4: Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Wellbeing and Skills
As more children and adolescents face mental health challenges and services become increasingly stretched, innovative approaches are essential to improving access to support. This chapter explores initiatives designed to enhance mental health and wellbeing for young people, ensuring they receive the care, skills, and resources needed to thrive.
The case studies within this chapter illustrate the growing emphasis on early intervention, community-driven solutions, and trauma informed care in improving children’s mental health and wellbeing. By fostering collaborative and evidence-based approaches, services can better support the next generation’s emotional resilience and overall development.
Chapter 5: Early Help and Intervention
Effective early intervention plays a crucial role in improving outcomes for children, young people, and families by identifying challenges at an early stage and providing targeted support before issues escalate. This chapter explores a range of initiatives designed to deliver proactive, preventative approaches, ensuring that families receive the right help at the right time.
This chapter highlights how early intervention, when designed with a collaborative, evidence-led approach, has the power to prevent crises, strengthen family and community relationships, and improve long-term life chances for children and young people. The initiatives showcased here serve as valuable examples of how strategic, well-implemented early help can lead to more resilient and thriving communities.
Chapter 6: Achieving Stability for Children in Care and Care Leavers
Ensuring stability for children in care and care leavers is essential to providing them with the security, support, and opportunities needed to thrive. This chapter explores initiatives designed to create lasting, loving homes for children in care and ensure that young people leaving the system receive the guidance, resources, and networks they need to navigate adulthood successfully.
From multidisciplinary approaches that enhance adoption support to employment models for care leavers, this chapter highlights pioneering efforts to improve experiences and outcomes for care-experienced young people.
How you can innovate further
Become a member of the Coram Innovation Incubator with access to innovation coaching and innovation project partnership.
Attend our upcoming event: From Insight to Impact: AI, Intersectionality, and the Future of Children’s Services on Monday 15 September 2025.
Get in touch with us to tell us about any promising innovations you’ve seen from across the sector.
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