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This paper reports on a small exploratory case study of family centre practice examining in particular the nature of proximal or process outcomes claimed by a mother and two practitioners following two productive years during which a mother and family have been in contact with the centre. This study looks to understand proximal processes from an outcome perspective through case study and particularly by examining the narrative accounts of practitioners and mother. The national and local contexts are explained along with the centre’s programmes and aims. The author acknowledges the components of a theory of change as a basis for the search for outcomes as “sensitive outcomes” or “steps-on-the-way”. Thereafter the paper reflects on the methodological challenges involved and considers issues a research team or collective might take into account in exploring the domain of sensitive or process outcomes in centre-based practice.

An Enquiry into Family Centres as Complex Systems of Care Abstract A collection of mixed method research and theoretical papers of the last decade constitute an enquiry into the activities of community based children and family centres. Such centres are characterised by locality, mixed methods, mixed traditions, inclusiveness, sanctuary, disadvantage, and, such research as there is, appears to defy trends in education, health and particularly welfare, by reporting on major satisfactions by users and practitioners alike. Users profess transformations in well being and practitioners remain happily in post for long periods. In the language of Winnicott, they contain and are contained. The papers conduct their enquiries by peering in through many doors, using mixed method and a broad epistemological spectrum, and apply a range of theoretical ideas - inter alia, empowerment, eco systemic theory, developmental science, milieu, object relations, containment; and attachment theory, intervention theory. Methods include scales, cross cultural comparison, narrative and qualitative approaches, and unexpectedly, through study of outcomes, the evolving studies not only problematise methods but introduce new methodological avenues. The studies conclude that understanding centres as complex systems of care lies in a lion-linear. outlook and using the potential of complexity sciences. An emergent theme concerns the neglect by research to understand practitioner capacity, the sheer complexity of the task; and moreover a hint, to be explored, that social workers' mass escape from the institution to the field and the office has left them uncoritained, distanced, fearful of engaging in synergies.

This paper explores the domain of family centres from the perspective of outcomes. Family centres are a cross-national phenomenon of complex, integrated services for children and their families, located in one site. The paper argues that centres are evaluated from an over-simplified and under-negotiated perspective of distal outcomes - the longer term outcomes owned by the agency and its professional stance. Instead, the authors propose a theory of change enabling more effective planning and evaluation of practice. The implication of the theory of change leads us to construct a triangular outcome framework embracing: a) distal outcomes, and also, b) proximal outcomes - steps-on-the-way, part of the journey of care and change; and, mediating outcomes - outcomes put in place to establish a milieu, disposing the centre to effective care and change. There is a concluding discussion about the methodological promise of collaborative enquiry in identifying and categorising different outcomes. Portions of this manuscript are revised from a prior publication: Warren-Adamson, C., & Lightburn, A. (in press). Evaluating family centres: sensitive outcomes in cross-national studies. In: A.N. Maluccio, C. Canali, & T. Vecchiato (Eds.), Measuring success in child welfare. London: Oxford University Press.

This paper introduces a special collection of this edition of the International Journal based on a series of international pilot studies designed to explore the messages and methodological challenges derived from attempts to understand proximal or sensitive outcomes as steps on the way to more distal or long term outcomes in community and family based centres. This paper gives background and summarises a collection which has a theoretical introduction followed by seven case studies compiled by scholars from seven different countries representing the International Association for Outcomes Based Evaluation and Research in Child and Family Services.