- N10, ITTC Building, Davy Road, Plymouth Science Park, Plymouth, PL6 8BX
- +44 1752 764259
- nick.axford@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Dr Nick Axford
NIHR Peninsula ARC (PenARC) Associate Professor in Health Services
Peninsula Medical School (Faculty of Health)
Dr Nick Axford can be contacted through arrangement with our Press Office, to speak to the media on these areas of expertise.
- Psychology
- Child health
- Health services
- Mental health
- Social care
- Early intervention
- Social-emotional learning
- Child maltreatment
- Bullying
- Youth violence
- Randomised controlled trials
Email publicrelations@plymouth.ac.uk to enquire.
Biography
Biography
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
Research
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.
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
(2024) 'Co‐production of health and social science research with vulnerable children and young people: A rapid review' Health Expectations 27, (2) , DOI Open access
(2024) 'A Scoping Review of the Oral Health Status, Oral Health Behaviours and Interventions to Improve the Oral Health of Children and Young People in Care and Care Leavers' Dentistry Journal 12, (2) 38-38 , DOI Open access
(2024) 'Access to Dental Care for Children and Young People in Care and Care Leavers: A Global Scoping Review' Dentistry Journal 12, (2) Publisher Site , DOI Open access
(2024) 'A comparison of the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural interventions based on delivery features for elevated symptoms of depression in adolescents: A systematic review' Campbell Systematic Reviews 20, (1) , DOI Open access
(2023) 'Autistic adults’ experiences of managing wellbeing and implications for social prescribing' Disability & Society 1-29 , DOI Open access
(2023) 'Transporting an evidence-based program to a new country: a narrative description and analysis of pre-implementation adaptation' Journal of Primary Prevention , DOI Open access
(2023) 'Money matters: time for prevention and early intervention to address family economic circumstances' Journal of Prevention , DOI Open access
(2022) 'Barriers to healthcare and their relationship to well-being and social support for autistic adults during COVID-19' Primary Health Care Research & Development 23, e79-e79 , DOI Open access
(2022) 'Engaging youth at risk of violence in services: messages from research' Children and Youth Services Review 144, , DOI Open access
(2022) 'Does social and economic disadvantage predict lower engagement with parenting interventions? An integrative analysis using individual participant data' Prevention Science , DOI Open access
(2022) 'How can we optimise learning from trials in child and adolescent mental health?' Evidence-Based Mental Health 25, 93-95 , DOI Open access
(2022) '"What works" registries of interventions to improve child and youth psychosocial outcomes: a critical appraisal' Children and Youth Services Review 137, , DOI Open access
(2021) 'Health and wellbeing outcomes and social prescribing pathways in community‐based support for autistic adults: A systematic mapping review of reviews' Health and Social Care in the Community , DOI Open access
(2021) 'GP trainee responses to using SHERPA for multimorbidity consultations' Education for Primary Care 1-8 , DOI Open access
(2020) 'Promoting learning from null or negative results in prevention science trials' Prevention Science , DOI Open access
(2020) 'The Effectiveness of a Community-Based Mentoring Program for Children Aged 5–11 Years: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial' Prevention Science 22, (1) 100-112 , DOI Open access
(2020) 'The effectiveness of a therapeutic parenting program for children aged 6-11 years with behavioural or emotional difficulties: results from a randomized controlled trial' Children and Youth Services Review , DOI Open access
(2020) 'The effectiveness of a therapeutic parenting program for children aged 6-11 years with behavioral or emotional difficulties: Results from a randomised controlled trial' Children and Youth Services Review 117, , DOI Open access
(2020) 'The effectiveness of the KiVa bullying prevention program in Wales, UK: results from a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial' Prevention Science , DOI Open access
(2020) 'PROTOCOL: A comparison of the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural interventions based on delivery features for elevated symptoms of depression in adolescents' Campbell Systematic Reviews 16, (1) , DOI Open access
(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 Open access
(2018) 'Challenging the Politics of Early Intervention: Who’s ‘saving’ children and why by Val Gillies, Rosalind Edwards and Nicola Horsley' Adoption & Fostering 42, (1) 91-94 Publisher Site , DOI
(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 Open access
(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 Open access
(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 Open access
(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 Open access
(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 Open access
(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 Open access
(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 Open access
(2015) 'Children’s services in and beyond austerity' Journal of Children’s Services 10, (1) Publisher Site , DOI
(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 Open access
(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) 'Child Well‐Being: Understanding Children's LivesColetteMcAuley and WendyRoseJessica Kingsley Publishers, London, 2010, 254 pp. £X. ISBN 978 1 84310 925 9' Child & Family Social Work 17, (4) 501-503 , DOI
(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) 'Understanding Costs and Outcomes in Child Welfare Services: A Comprehensive Costing Approach to Managing Your Resources' British Journal of Social Work 42, (6) 1213-1215 Publisher Site , DOI
(2012) 'Blueprints for Europe: Promoting Evidence-Based Programmes in Children's Services' Psychosocial Intervention 21, (2) 205-214 , DOI
(2012) 'Book Review: Child Social Work Policy and Practice' Adoption & Fostering 36, (2) 93-95 , DOI
(2011) 'Book Review: Children's Services at the Crossroads: A Critical Evaluation of Contemporary Policy for Practice' Adoption & Fostering 35, (1) 94-95 , 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) 'A Good Childhood: Searching for Values in a Competitive Age, Richard Layard and Judy Dunn, London, Penguin Books, 2009, pp. xiii + 240, ISBN 978-0-141-03943-5, 9.99' British Journal of Social Work 39, (5) 969-971 , 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) 'An evaluation of Youth at Risk's Coaching for Communities programme' The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice 48, (1) 60-75
(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 the <i>Journal of Children's Services</i>' Journal of Children's Services 3, (4) 46-58 , DOI
(2008) 'From Transmitted Deprivation to Social Exclusion: Policy, Poverty, and Parenting, John Welshman, Bristol, Policy Press, 2007, ISBN 978 1 86134 835 7 (hbk), 65.00' British Journal of Social Work 38, (6) 1250-1252 Publisher Site , 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) 'Children who Commit acts of Serious Interpersonal Violence: Messages for Best Practice, A.Hagell, R.Jeyarajah‐Dent (Eds.). Jessica Kingsley Publishers, UK (2006) 256pp., £19.99 (Pbk), ISBN: 9781843103844' Journal of Adolescence 30, (5) 891-892 , DOI
(2007) 'New directions, familiar challenges? A review of the first volume of the <i>Journal of Children's Services</i>' Journal of Children's Services 2, (1) 58-66 , DOI
(2007) 'Social Justice and Public Policy: Seeking Fairness in Diverse Societies, Gary Craig, Tania Burchardt and David Gordon (eds), Bristol, The Policy Press, 2008, pp. x + 284, ISBN978 1 86134 933 0 (pbk), 19.99' British Journal of Social Work 38, (8) 1650-1652 Publisher Site , DOI
(2006) 'Enhancing service evaluability: lessons from a programme for disaffected young people' Children & Society 20, (4) 287-298
(2006) 'Refocusing Children's Services Towards Prevention: Lessons from the Literature' Children & Society 20, (4) 299-312 , DOI
(2006) 'What Children Need, * Jane Waldfogel, * Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 2006, ISBN 0 674 02212 2, $35.00/ 22.95' British Journal of Social Work 37, (6) 1126-1129 , DOI
(2006) 'Vicky White and John Harris (eds), <i>Developing Good Practice in Children's Services</i>, Jessica Kingsley, London, 2004, 208 pp., £16.95 pbk' Journal of Social Policy 35, (2) 344-346 , DOI
(2006) 'Developing a Common Language in Children's Services through Research‐based Inter‐disciplinary Training' Social Work Education 25, (2) 161-176 , DOI
(2006) 'Child Welfare and Social Policy: An Essential Reader' Children & Society 20, (1) 76-77 , DOI
(2005) 'Jan Mason and Toby Fattore (eds) (2005), <i>Children Taken Seriously: In Theory, Policy and Practice</i>, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 272 pp., £22.95 pbk' Journal of Social Policy 35, (1) 165-166 , DOI
(2005) 'MonicaBarry (Ed.), Youth Policy and Social Inclusion: Critical Debates with Young People, Routledge, UK, ISBN 0‐415‐31904‐8, 2005 (315pp., £22.99 (Pbk))' Journal of Adolescence 29, (2) 319-320 , DOI
(2005) 'Safeguarding and Promoting the Well-Being of Children, Families and Communities, * Jane Scott and Harriet Ward (eds), * London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2005, pp. 304, ISBN 1 84310 141 6, 39.99 (hbk)' British Journal of Social Work 37, (1) 171-172 , 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) 'Culture and Child Protection: Reflexive Responses, * Marie Connolly, Yvonne Crichton-Hill and Tony Ward, * London, Jessica Kingsley Publishing, 2006, pp. 144, ISBN 1 84310 270 6, 16.99, $27.95' British Journal of Social Work 36, (8) 1444-1445 , DOI
(2005) 'Effective Learning and Teaching in Social Policy and Social Work, * Hilary Burgess and Imogen Taylor (eds), * London, RoutledgeFalmer, 2005, pp. xx + 229, ISBN 0 41533 496 9, 24.99' British Journal of Social Work 35, (8) 1422-1423 , 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) 'Mary John, <i>Children's Rights and Power: Charging up for a New Century</i>, Jessica Kingsley, London, 2003, 304 pp., £15.95 PB, ISBN: 1 85302 659 X' Journal of Social Policy 34, (1) 167-169 , DOI
(2004) 'Youth Justice: Ideas, Policy and Practice, Roger Smith, Cullompton, Willan Publishing, 2003, pp. 234, ISBN 1 84392 021 2, 17.99' British Journal of Social Work 34, (3) 457-459 , DOI
(2004) 'Research Review: Risk and protection in the context of services for children in need' Child & Family Social Work 9, (1) 105-117 , 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
(2020) 'Great Britain' in Farrington DP; Jonkman H; Groeger-Roth F Delinquency and Substance Use in Europe: Understanding Risk and Protective Factors Switzerland Springer , DOI
(2020) 'Great Britain' Delinquency and Substance Use in Europe Springer International Publishing 21-39 , DOI
(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
(2017) 'Critical Factors in the Successful Implementation of Evidence‐Based Parenting Programmes' Wiley 349-366 , DOI
(2017) 'Mapping the data needed to plan integrated services: A case study of children's services in one locality' Defining and Classifying Children in Need 323-330
(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
(2012) 'The Common Language Service-Development Method' Handbook of Implementation Science for Psychology in Education Cambridge University Press 443-458 , DOI
(2010) 'Introduction' in Axford N Defining and Classifying Children in Need Aldershot Ashgate
(2008) 'Child well-being through different lenses' Exploring concepts of child well-being Policy Press 113-130 , DOI
(2008) 'Developing congruent children’s services' Exploring concepts of child well-being Policy Press 159-170 , DOI
(2008) 'Matching conditions and service styles' Exploring concepts of child well-being Policy Press 141-158 , DOI
(2008) 'Relationships between the concepts' Exploring concepts of child well-being Policy Press 89-110 , DOI
(2008) 'Relationships between the conditions' Exploring concepts of child well-being Policy Press 131-138 , DOI
(2008) 'Social Exclusion' in Bonilla-Silva E; Costanzo P; Mason PL; McClain PD; Scott D; Singleton T International Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences New York MacMillan
(2007) 'Research-Based Practice Tools to Improve Child Welfare Services in England: Using the <i>Going Home?</i> Practice Tool to Support the Effective Reunification of Families' Research for Action Oxford University PressNew York 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
(2024) Transition Hub for Children Looked After: Feasibility and Pilot Study Report. Youth Endowment Fund London Youth Endowment Fund Open access
(2019) How Can Schools Support Parents' Engagement in their Children's Learning? Evidence from Research and Practice. London Education Endowment Foundation Open access
(2019) Improving the Early Learning of Children Growing Up in Poverty: A Rapid Review of the Evidence. London Save the Children UK Open access
(2018) Working with Parents to Support Children's Learning: Guidance Report. London Education Endowment Foundation Open access
(2018) 'Wrong' answers, right response: learning from randomised controlled trials when you don't get the results you were hoping for. Open access
Presentations and posters
'26 Introducing the Sherpa Model for Managing Multi-Morbidity to Trainee GPS: Outcomes and Relevance to Elderly CareÂ' , DOI
Other Publications
Article type: Editorial from: Journal of children's services, volume 7, issue 2.
Journal of children's services.
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) 425-427 , DOI
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) 2687-2689 , DOI