BERRI - Improving Outcomes for Children (A clinical evaluation tool)

What is BERRI?

The BERRI is an outcome measure developed by LifePsychol Ltd. It aims to provide an overview of children’s psychological needs and wellbeing. The assessment tool also measures their outcomes in relation to characteristics relating to type of care.

A recently completed study funded by Innovate UK involved collecting data on nearly 1,000 young people in care by LifePsychol in collaboration with the Anna Freud Centre, facilitated by the Commissioning Alliance, allowing access to gather data through their service provision. As part of this project, several papers on the BERRI have been written around its psychometric properties and also on longitudinal changes in scores in relation to COVID-19-related events.

BERRI in research

Meryl Westlake completed her mixed-methods PhD at UCL and Anna Freud where she used the BERRI questionnaire to explore the mental health difficulties, including risk-taking behaviours, among children living in residential care in England. This research explored the relationship between age, gender, recent stressful life events and children’s difficulties. Meryl investigated the use of the BERRI to measure mental health difficulties in a community sample of adolescents. She also explored young adults’ experiences of help and harm in children’s homes.

A roundtable discussion: addressing the complexities of risk in supported accommodation

This research suggested that young people in semi-independent accommodation may have greater harm from external risk such as going missing, exploitation, and substance use compared to those in children’s homes.

To understand the impact of the new Supported Accommodation Regulations in Englandon the support, vulnerability to harm and exposure to risk in supported accommodation, a Roundtable discussion was organised. This event brought together experts in the sector from a range of backgrounds to bring a richness of knowledge and experience to the conversation.