To support the CWDC in its aim of improving the lives of children and young people through supporting people working with children, VT Research (now Babcock) undertook a scoping study to provide information for strategic planning and further research. The key objectives of the scoping study were to gather and analyse relevant web-based and organisational data, grey literature and academic literature on the subject of paid workers in the children’s workforce in the private, voluntary and independent sector to find out where these workers work; what these workers do; and how much they earn.

Our trained team of researchers and mappers undertook internet and library searches, as well as telephone interviews for additional information from key stakeholders. The literature for the study was sourced, quality assessed, logged, and analysed. The final outputs included a bespoke database of the contacts and literature found, and a full report with executive summary, bibliography, and recommendations which provided a foundation of evidence-based learning to the CWDC about the childcare paid-workforce.