In the following video from the What Works Launch on 19 June 2019, Tom McBride and Dr Suzanne Guerin speak to ‘Using Evidence: Theory and Practice.’ This presentation takes a holistic look at the use of evidence in the context of service delivery, considering how evidence can be used to iterate on the programmes delivered to children, young people and their families.
Tom McBride is the Director of Evidence at the Early Intervention Foundation, leading evidence generation. The Early Intervention Foundation was established in 2013 to champion and support the use of effective early intervention to improve the lives of children and young people at risk of poor outcomes. EIF makes the case for effective early intervention, ensuring it is prioritised and invested in across the UK.
Dr Suzanne Guerin is Associate Professor in Research Design and Analysis with the School of Psychology at University College Dublin. Her research interests relate to Applied Health Research and Evaluation and she is involved in a number of projects in areas including intellectual disability, palliative care and health services research. The main focus of her teaching is in the areas of research methods, including qualitative and quantitative approaches. She is chairperson of the Board of the Tallaght West Childhood Development Initiative.
McBride’s input introduces EIF and the EIF Guidebook, which provides information about early intervention programmes that have been evaluated and shown to improve outcomes for children and young people. He will also speak to his experience of using evidence in the UK policy context. Dr Suzanne Guerin shifts the focus of the discussion to an Irish context and in particular the work of Tallaght West CDI. Guerin’s presentation highlights TWCDI’s Mate-Tricks Programme. She explains why the programme was discontinued and highlight Doodle Den, a new programme which is now featured on the EIF Guidebook.