A rise in MPs’ casework is a symptom of a justice system under strain, writes @queensparkkaren.bsky.social in @thehousemag.bsky.social.

🔹 Over two-thirds of council-run youth centres have shut down in England and Wales. 🔹 Nearly 20% of the UK's public libraries have closed. 🔹 £1.2 billion has been cut from youth service budgets. Since 2010, places for teens to connect and develop key social skills have steadily disappeared. 🧵

How can evidence help shape an inclusive future for the UK? Our recent Racial Diversity UK event featured grant-holders leading the first four funded projects & signalled the start of bringing people together who are interested in RDUK’s work. Find out how to get involved: bit.ly/3N6LDeo

It is great to see this important research funded by the Nuffield Foundation in The Lancet. The inequalities faced by children in care are at the heart of the work of the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. Lisa Harker, director of the NFJO, examined this in a recent expert feature bit.ly/4q6kki

Australia banned social media for under-16s. In the UK, the prevalence of mental health conditions is under review. A factor often identified as a contributor to declining well-being among young people is social media. But are we overlooking a quieter, deeper shift? 🧵

Our Strategic Fund is open, deadline 16 March 2026. We’re looking for bold new ideas tackling the UK’s biggest social & economic challenges💡 Info on the Strategic Fund and how to apply: ow.ly/Ae7Y50XKnHl Want to sense-check fit? Send a 1-page project summary to [email protected]

Thanks to everyone who joined our How is Gen Z faring? event & to our wonderful speakers for such thoughtful contributions - @jburnmurdoch.ft.com @sonialivingstone.bsky.social @pravpatalay.bsky.social @emilytanner.bsky.social @careyoppenheim.bsky.social 📺Watch the event + slides: ow.ly/GWP650XHvLe

Because it happens in slow-motion we (still) tend to underappreciate the scale of demographic change & its profound implications for society. Compare (expected) UK child population in 2035 to that in 1971. Scotland = 44% lower, Wales = 30% lower, Northern Ireland = 34% lower & England 16% lower

By 2029/29 there is expected to be a £6bn gap between levels of SEND spending and the funding available. And councils’ cumulative SEND deficits will be £14 bn. Really important @theifs.bsky.social briefing on this funded by @nuffieldfoundation.org

📣 Applying to Nuffield Funding: Supporting Black Researchers Black researchers remain underrepresented across the UK research community. This webinar aims to help make our funding process more accessible and equitable. Join us on 21st Jan for guidance on applying. Register: ow.ly/VHyq50XAAZm

Do listen to this great explainer about today's new report on the early years workforce across the UK. Findings seek to tackle the sector's recruitment & retention crisis & drive up quality. The report was led by @beatrice-early-ed.bsky.social & @plymuni.bsky.social. Read it here: bit.ly/489vA7X

Announcements in the Chancellor’s budget align with issues where our funded research is highly relevant to major changes on three big policy challenges - child poverty, Post-16 and skills, and Special Educational Needs. 🧵

📱Do you have a tracking app for your teen? It may have a bigger impact than you think. For young people, it can feel like a breach of trust and an invasion of their privacy. For parents, what begins as a desire for safety can be exploited by technology and become a form of control. 🧵

The Budget confirmed the speculation - Rachel Reeves has scrapped the two-child limit. Our blog on child poverty considered the evidence supporting policy change. ⬇️

The further education sector is on the frontline of preparing learners for a rapidly shifting labour market. Our Director of Education shares his thoughts on what the findings from The Skills Imperative 2035 by @thenfer.bsky.social mean for FE, in @fenews.bsky.social Read here: ow.ly/ktPp50Xxrz4

Technology is transforming the labour market in every sector & by 2035, up to three million jobs in low & mid skilled roles could be at risk. Against this backdrop, @thenfer.bsky.social has released the final report from its five-year project, The Skills Imperative 2035. Read more: ow.ly/WGZv50Xxnul

Child poverty remains a persistent challenge in the UK. At Wednesday's Budget, attention will be on the Chancellor & whether she will scrap the two-child benefit limit. The Foundation's @amiddletonbeer.bsky.social assesses the evidence for this necessary, but not sufficient, policy. bit.ly/3XhNsHr

New gov stats show 10,800 teens in care are in supported accommodation, often with limited day-to-day adult involvement. For @bigissue.com, @nuffieldfjo.bsky.social's @lisaharker.bsky.social builds on her feature for our Grown Up? programme and examines the impact of these living arrangements.

New @resolutionfoundation.org @safety-nets.bsky.social report on the localisation of social security since 2013: Support delivered by local authorities isn't well understood but is an increasingly important part of the social security system: real spending on it is now 122 times higher than 2010-11

🚀 We’re hiring! Want to make a difference & contribute to high-impact projects? Join our team as: 🔹 Research Portfolio Lead 🔹 Researcher 🔹 Senior Policy Officer or 🔹 Communications & Public Affairs Coordinator Learn more about all available roles: www.nuffieldfoundation.org/about/careers

NEW: Labour inherited public services in crisis. Performance had fallen, investment had been cut + spending plans were undeliverable. It's made some progress, providing stability and positive long-term plans. But it has been undermined by poor prep in opposition and lack of co-ordination in govt 🧵

📣 Pleased to announce we've been awarded funding from @nuffieldfoundation.org together with @smfthinktank.bsky.social to carry out new research on school based nurseries. www.nuffieldfoundation.org/project/room...

🚨ICYMI: Have you seen our latest data commentary exploring how digital technologies are shaping young people's experiences of growing up? Hint: it's a more complicated picture than headlines suggest. We spotlighted three key charts in this thread. Dive into the data and read the analysis

Some mainstream schools in England have 6x as many pupils who need learning or behaviour support compared to those with the lowest rates. The findings come from new #NuffieldFunded research by @thenfer.bsky.social which explored the spread of pupils with special educational needs & disabilities. ⬇️

What happens in our first five years shapes everything that follows. In the latest We Society podcast, the Foundation's @eleanorire.bsky.social joins host Will Hutton, President of the @acadsocsciences.bsky.social, to discuss why early childhood matters. Listen here: bit.ly/43s5MkC

Digital tech has profoundly shaped today’s 14–24-year-olds and their journeys to adulthood. Roshni Modhvadia from @adalovelaceinst.bsky.social & Grown up? project lead @careyoppenheim.bsky.social dive into what the evidence says — and, importantly, what is missing. 🎥 Watch: bit.ly/digitallives...

“Economically inactive” working-age adults cost as much as £85bn a year. The Keep Britain Working Review provides a roadmap for tackling long-standing barriers to work for those with health conditions or disabilities. Our Chief Executive @gavin-kelly.bsky.social welcomes its evidence-led approach.

Fantastic panel here tonight at our joint @britishacademy.bsky.social @nuffieldfoundation.org event thinking about the role of philosophy in public life chaired by @leaypi.bsky.social

How might philosophical thinking shape research, policy, and public debate? “The point is to change it”: Essays on Philosophy in Public Life, explores this question by bringing together perspectives from 21 leading philosophers across the UK, US, and Europe. 🧵 Read essays: bit.ly/philosophyesays

4.5 million children live in poverty in the UK, most in working families. In the latest We Society podcast, the Foundation's @amiddletonbeer.bsky.social talks to Will Hutton, host & @acadsocsciences.bsky.social President, about why poverty persists & possible solutions. Listen here: bit.ly/4oe92bq

🧵 Digital technologies are part of everyday life for today’s 14–24-year-olds, the first generation to be entirely born in the digital age. Public discourse can focus on the harms of these tools, but the conclusions from our Grown Up? programme’s data commentary paint a more complex picture.

For our Grown Up? programme, we asked 14–24-year-olds how digital technology shapes their lives. For many, the line between online and offline life has blurred, particularly since the pandemic. But this isn’t how they want to live. They want a greater balance; to experience the best of both worlds.

Delighted to see NELI, the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme, described as an ‘education silver bullet’ by @beckyfrancis.bsky.social in @schoolsweek.bsky.social. NELI is a programme for reception pupils in England who need extra support with speech & language development. bit.ly/47CEtq3

[NEW] How does the quality of local government services vary across the country – and what is driving performance? The first instalment of our Public Services Performance Tracker 2025 with @nuffieldfoundation.org is out now🚨👇 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

As the Autumn Budget looms, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces a daunting fiscal balancing act. Today's Green Budget from @theifs.bsky.social adds its own expert contribution to the debate and includes a foreword from our Chief Executive @gavin-kelly.bsky.social. Read it here: bit.ly/3WEZwSF

NEW: Rachel Reeves needs a plan for a better tax system, not a half-baked dash for revenue. 📗 Stuart Adam, Isaac Delestre and @helenmiller.bsky.social's new IFS Green Budget chapter examines the Chancellor’s options for tax increases: ifs.org.uk/publications...

All Budgets are billed as important but this one is set to be especially challenging. Pleased @nuffieldfoundation.org supports @theifs.bsky.social Green Budget which illuminates the key choices & trade-offs. Here's the chapter on options for tax increases. ifs.org.uk/publications...

NEW: The share of children receiving disability support and the share on high-level special educational support have both doubled since 2016. THREAD on @eduinlatimer.bsky.social, @lukesibieta.bsky.social and Darcey Snape's IFS Green Budget chapter, funded by @nuffieldfoundation.org:

Given policy interest in communities we have published a joint @britishacademy.bsky.social / @nuffieldfoundation.org report on the lessons from a series of funded projects on building resilience through place, trust, connection, & community capacity www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/buildin...

The economics of the justice system is the theme of the 2025 @resmedia.bsky.social Summit, which is sponsored by the Foundation & taking place at our office on 2 December. We hope the event provides an opportunity for academic economists to gain an understanding of the work we fund. bit.ly/46JttXP

A new report exploring the influence of local communities on social well-being, is published today by the Nuffield Foundation and @britishacademy.bsky.social, drawing on findings from our joint Understanding Communities programme. Find out more: bit.ly/476EguY

We're delighted that Season 9 of The We Society has landed. Listen to the Foundation's @amiddletonbeer.bsky.social on 29 Oct discussing how innovative research can help lift children out of hardship, & @eleanorire.bsky.social on 12 Nov talking about the best ways to support families.

STEM research placements had a positive long-term impact on young people’s opportunities, according to the final independent evaluation by Frontier Economics & CFE Research of Nuffield Research Placements. It highlights education & career benefits for students who took part. bit.ly/46MrpwX

EVENT: Why is demand for support for children with health needs rising? Friday 3 Oct | 10 – 11am | Online 📅 Sign up for our IFS Green Budget event, funded by @nuffieldfoundation.org, on the increases in SEN support and children's disability living allowance: ifs.org.uk/events/why-d...

What are the main challenges facing the justice system in England & Wales? Experts @drannat.bsky.social at @sriucl.bsky.social, Dr John Sorabji, and World Justice Project are exploring key issues in the first three evidence reviews for our Public Right to Justice programme. bit.ly/3IofJZ7

It’s time to think about the connection between the social & economic, not as unilateral, but as a two-way relationship.   This was the theme of our recent event, where we asked a room of experts, ’How can the strength of our social foundations make, or break, our economic fortunes?’   Link below👇

The Education Committee’s report on Further Education and Skills is out today. Key points backed by evidence we have funded includes recommendations on: ➡️ The Youth Guarantee ➡️Mixed qualifications ➡️Student Premium ➡️College funding Read more about our submission: ow.ly/gzkB50X0WG7

New article: Children’s Perception of the World of Technology: Through the Lens of Heidegger Children found technology distracted them from connecting with nature, relating to others and themselves @drjessicahamer.bsky.social supported by @nuffieldfoundation.org link.springer.com/article/10.1...

NEW: The government is banking on big rises in public sector productivity to deliver its plans for public services. @maxwarner.bsky.social and Olly Harvey-Rich’s new IFS Green Budget chapter, funded by @nuffieldfoundation.org, examines the outlook for public sector productivity: [THREAD : 1/6]

In a recent speech, Attorney General Lord Hermer KC highlighted how trust in the UK’s institutions, courts, & rule of law provides stability & certainty for businesses, echoing @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social in an essay for our Public Right to Justice programme. Read it here: bit.ly/3IvImDB