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We examine the outcome measurement landscape in care leaver innovation, where many innovations to support transitions of young people leaving care fail to sustain beyond a fixed-term pilot, and fewer impact wider transition policies. Our empirical qualitative study comprises interviews with 31 senior UK children's social care policy and practice professionals, 103 interviews across five innovation-focused case studies within England with a range of public and private providers. We consider these data in relation to evaluations from a nationally diffused social care innovation. We identified three measurement landscape challenges. First, we highlight the limits of the economically oriented measurement and identify an overlooked outcome measurement demand. Second, we emphasise a need to stratify care leaver population outcomes to better reflect individuals transition through different domains of life and trajectory. Third, we identify areas of precarity around the intended use of care leaver experience. We conclude that tensions exist between the pull towards a unified approach to outcome measurement and the reality of decoupled outcome requirements and legitimacy-seeking priorities which differ according to stakeholder. These tensions entrench stagnant innovation. Recognition of roles and legitimacies that exist across the process of care leaver innovation is warranted. Opportunities for action are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Data Protection Act 1998 and Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care (Department of Health, 2003a) have brought consideration of ethical issues in the conduct of research into sharper focus. This paper, based primarily on the authors' experiences of conducting research on children in need and outcomes for vulnerable children, examines the impact these changes have had on the research process. The difficulties experienced by researchers in gaining access to research participants in order to develop evidence-based policy and practice are explored. Finally, the paper outlines some practical steps that can be taken to facilitate the effective conduct of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]