- N10, ITTC Building, Davy Road, Plymouth Science Park
- nick.axford@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Dr Nick Axford
NIHR Peninsula ARC (PenARC) Associate Professor in Health Services
Peninsula Medical School (Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences)
Role
I work on a variety of projects with a focus on child health and implementation science. My specialism is evidence-based prevention and early intervention to improve child well-being, with a particular focus on developing or adapting interventions and evaluating their effectiveness and implementation. Prior to joining the University of Plymouth in April 2017 I was a Senior Researcher at Dartington Social Research Unit, an independent charity that brings science and evidence to bear on policy and practice in children's services to improve the health and development of children and young people.
Qualifications
2003 - PhD Advanced Social Work and Probation Studies, University of Exeter
1997 - MSc European Social Policy Analysis, University of Bath
1994 - BA(Hons) Geography with European Study, University of Exeter
Roles on external bodies
Member of the Board of the European Society for Prevention Research (2019-present)
Member of the What Works Centre for Children's Social Care Evidence Panel (2019-present)
Senior Associate, Dartington Service Design Lab (2017-present)
Member of the Early Intervention Foundation Evidence Panel (2014-present)
Research interests
My research interests are evidence-based prevention and early intervention to improve child well-being, notably designing services and evaluating their effectiveness and implementation. I have undertaken studies involving a variety of methods, including evidence reviews, randomised controlled trials and focus groups, and covering a range of subject areas, such as antisocial behaviour, bullying, child maltreatment, early childhood development and social-emotional learning. I am particularly interested in forms of intervention that have the potential to achieve impact at scale, and in methods for developing and testing these - including co-production with users and the use of rapid cycle innovation. I also enjoy engaging in debates about the value of evidence-based approaches in children's services.
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
2018
'The effectiveness of Chance UK’s mentoring programme in improving behavioural and emotional outcomes in primary school children with behavioural difficulties: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial'
BMC Psychology
6,
(1)
, DOI
PEARL
2018
'The effectiveness of the Inspiring Futures parenting programme in improving behavioural and emotional outcomes in primary school children with behavioural or emotional difficulties: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial'
BMC Psychology
6,
(1)
, DOI
PEARL
2017
'Fund-Mapping: the investment of public resources in the well-being of children and young people in Northern Ireland'
Child Care in Practice
, DOI
PEARL
2017
'Perfect Bedfellows: Why Early Intervention Can Play a Critical Role in Protecting Children—A Response to Featherstone et al. (2014) ‘A Marriage Made in Hell: Child Protection Meets Early Intervention’'
The British Journal of Social Work
, DOI
PEARL
2017
'The effectiveness of the Incredible Years pre-school parenting programme in the United Kingdom: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial'
Child Care in Practice
23,
(2)
141-161
, DOI
PEARL
2015
'Effectiveness and micro-costing of the KiVa school-based bullying prevention programme in Wales: study protocol for a pragmatic definitive parallel group cluster randomised controlled trial'
BMC Public Health
16,
(1)
, DOI
PEARL
2015
'Review: Attachment and attachment-related outcomes in preschool children - a review of recent evidence'
Child and Adolescent Mental Health
21,
(1)
11-20
, DOI
2015
'The Effectiveness and Micro-costing Analysis of a Universal, School-Based, Social–Emotional Learning Programme in the UK: A Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial'
School Mental Health
8,
(2)
238-256
, DOI
PEARL
2015
'Involving parents in school-based programmes to prevent and reduce bullying: what effect does it have?'
Journal of Children's Services
10,
(3)
242-251
, DOI
PEARL
2013
'Exploring the influence of international governmental organisations on domestic child welfare policy and practice'
Adoption & Fostering
37,
(1)
57-70
, DOI
2013
'Evidence-based programs in children's services: A critical appraisal'
Children and Youth Services Review
35,
(2)
268-277
, DOI
PEARL
2012
'The impact of three evidence-based programmes delivered in public systems in Birmingham, UK'
International Journal of Conflict and Violence
6,
(2)
260-272
2012
'Engaging parents in parenting programs: Lessons from research and practice'
Children and Youth Services Review
34,
(10)
2061-2071
, DOI
2012
'Making Child Well-Being Data Work Hard: Getting from Data to Policy and Practice'
Child Indicators Research
6,
(1)
161-177
, DOI
2012
'Blueprints for Europe: Promoting Evidence-Based Programmes in Children's Services'
Psychosocial Intervention
21,
(2)
205-214
, DOI
2011
'Children and global social policy: Exploring the impact of international governmental organisations'
International Journal of Social Welfare
21,
(1)
53-65
, DOI
2010
'Can study tours help promote evidence-based practice in children's services?'
European Journal of Social Work
13,
(4)
523-543
, DOI
2010
'Getting the Measure of Child Health and Development Outcomes (2): The Picture for a Local Authority in England'
Child Indicators Research
4,
(1)
81-100
, DOI
2010
'Getting the Measure of Child Health and Development Outcomes (1): A Method for Use in Children’s Services Settings'
Child Indicators Research
4,
(1)
59-80
, DOI
2009
'Child well-being through different lenses: why concept matters'
Child & Family Social Work
14,
(3)
372-383
, DOI
2009
'Measuring children's needs: how are we doing?'
Child & Family Social Work
14,
(3)
243-254
, DOI
2009
'“Finish What's on Your Plate!”: The Relationships between Parenting, Children's Nutrition and Outcomes'
Child Care in Practice
15,
(2)
145-159
, DOI
2009
'Developing congruent children's services to improve child well-being'
Child & Family Social Work
14,
(1)
35-44
, DOI
2008
'Linking prevention science and community engagement: a case study of the Ireland Disadvantaged Children and Youth Programme'
Journal of Children’s Services
3,
(2)
40-54
2008
'Measuring and Meeting the Needs of Children and Families in the Community: Survey of Parents on a Housing Estate in Dublin, Ireland'
Child Care in Practice
14,
(4)
331-353
, DOI
2008
'Is Social Exclusion a Useful Concept in Children's Services?'
British Journal of Social Work
40,
(3)
737-754
, DOI
2008
'Conducting Needs Assessments in Children's Services'
British Journal of Social Work
40,
(1)
4-25
, DOI
2008
'The science of a good childhood: a review of Volume 2 of theJournal of Children's Services'
Journal of Children's Services
3,
(4)
46-58
, DOI
2008
'the school readiness of children living in a disadvantaged area in Ireland'
Journal of Early Childhood Research
6,
(2)
119-144
, DOI
2008
'A dark art comes to the water‐cooler: a review of some key texts on RCTs for children's services professionals and researchers'
Journal of Children's Services
3,
(1)
40-50
, DOI
2007
'New directions, familiar challenges? A review of the first volume of the Journal of Children's Services'
Journal of Children's Services
2,
(1)
58-66
, DOI
2006
'Enhancing service evaluability: lessons from a programme for disaffected young people'
Children & Society
20,
(4)
287-298
2006
'Developing a Common Language in Children's Services through Research‐based Inter‐disciplinary Training'
Social Work Education
25,
(2)
161-176
, DOI
2006
'Refocusing children's services towards prevention: lessons from the literature'
Children & Society
, DOI
2005
'Exploring the Potential of Shadow Controls in the Evaluation of Children’s Services'
International Journal of Social Research Methodology
8,
(5)
389-404
, DOI
2005
'Measuring Outcomes in the ‘New’ Children's Services'
Journal of Integrated Care
13,
(4)
12-23
, DOI
2005
'Evaluating Children's Services: Recent Conceptual and Methodological Developments'
British Journal of Social Work
35,
(1)
73-88
, DOI
2004
'Mapping the Data Needed to Plan Integrated Services: a case study of children’s services in one locality'
Journal of Integrated Care
12,
(3)
3-10
2003
'Children's services in the UK 1997-2003: problems, developments and challenges for the future'
Children & Society
17,
(3)
205-214
, DOI
Books
2008
Exploring concepts of child well-being: Implications for children's services.
Chapters
2019
'Intimate partner violence'
in Emond A
Health for All Children (5th Edition)
Oxford
Oxford University Press
45-58
2019
'Perinatal parental mental health problems'
in Emond A
Health for All Children (5th Edition)
Oxford
Oxford University Press
31-44
2019
'Tobacco, alcohol, and substance use in the perinatal period'
in Emond A
Health for All Children (5th Edition)
Oxford
Oxford University Press
59-70
2017
'Critical factors in the implementation of parenting programmes: fidelity, adaptation and promoting quality'
in Dixon L; Perkins DF; Hamilton-Giachritisis C; Craig LA
The Wiley Handbook of What Works in Child Maltreatment: An Evidence-Based Approach to Assessment and Intervention in Child Protection
2014
'The prevention of child maltreatment and neglect'
in Conte J
Child Abuse and Neglect Worldwide
2014
'Objective or subjective well-being?'
in Ben-Arieh A; Casas F; Frones I; Korbin JE
Handbook of Child Well-Being: Theories, Methods and Policies in Global Perspective
Springer
Heidelberg
2699-2738
, DOI
2012
'The Common Language prevention operating system: from strategy development to implementation of evidence-based practice'
in Kelly B; Perkins D
Handbook of Implementation Science for Educational Psychology
Cambridge
Cambridge University Press
2010
'Introduction'
in Axford N
Defining and Classifying Children in Need
Aldershot
Ashgate
2007
'Research-Based Practice Tools to Improve Child Welfare Services in England: Using the Going Home? Practice Tool to Support the Effective Reunification of Families'
Research for Action
Oxford University Press
88-110
, DOI
2005
'Introduction'
in Axford N; Berry V; Little M; Morpeth L
Forty Years of Research, Policy and Practice: A Festschrift for Roger Bullock
Chichester
Wiley
3-14
2005
'Messages for research, policy and practice in children's services'
in Axford N; Berry V; Little M; Morpeth L
Forty Years of Research, Policy and Practice in Children’s Services: A Festschrift for Roger Bullock
Chichester
Wiley
2005
'Where next for social research at Dartington?'
in Axford N; Berry V; Little M; Morpeth L
Forty Years of Research, Policy and Practice: A Festschrift for Roger Bullock
Chichester
Wiley
2005
'Experiments in using practice tools to disseminate research'
in Kloekner C; Paetzel U
Kindheitsforschung und kommunale Praxis: Praxisnahe Erkenntnisse aus der aktuellen Kindheitsforschung
Wiesbaden
VS-Verlag
Reports
2019
How Can Schools Support Parents' Engagement in their Children's Learning? Evidence from Research and Practice.
London
Education Endowment Foundation
PEARL
2019
Improving the Early Learning of Children Growing Up in Poverty: A Rapid Review of the Evidence.
London
Save the Children UK
PEARL
2018
Working with Parents to Support Children's Learning: Guidance Report.
London
Education Endowment Foundation
PEARL
2018
'Wrong' answers, right response: learning from randomised controlled trials when you don't get the results you were hoping for.
PEARL
Other Publications
0
Article type: Editorial from: Journal of children's services, volume 7, issue 2.
0
0
0
Journal of children's services.
0
0
0
Mel Gray, Debbie Plath and Stephen A. Webb (2009), Evidence-based Social Work: A Critical Stance. Abingdon: Routledge. £22.99, pp. 216, pbk.
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
0
0
425-427
, DOI
0
Understanding International Social Work: A Critical Analysis, Richard Hugman, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2010, pp. xii + 194, ISBN 978 0 230 21959 5 (pbk), 21.99.
Oxford University Press (OUP)
0
0
2687-2689
, DOI