June 2021

Read the full report from the scientific consultation on study purpose, content and design (PDF)

On 10 June 2021, the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies hosted an online consultation event on the ELC-FS’s content and design with researchers, data users and policymakers took part.

Morning sessions covered the key research questions, required design features and measures for the following areas:

• cognitive, social, and emotional development of infants
• infant-parent relationships, and the early home environment
• infant health, including growth, nutrition and sleep
• mental health of parents and the developing child
• social, environmental and neighbourhood influences on infant and family
• inequality, disadvantage, and social mobility in the new cohort
• genomics, early adversity and biological embedding of stress.

Afternoon sessions covered approaches to consulting and engaging less-often-heard groups, including:

• ethnic diversity and immigrant families
• fathers and partners
• vulnerable children
• diverse families
• pre-term, and sick neo-nates.

June 2021

Read the full report from the policy and practice consultation on study content and design (PDF)

Read the study team’s response to the consultation feedback on questionnaire content (PDF)

On 17 June 2021, the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) hosted a consultation event for representatives from the policy and practice communities across all four UK nations to input into the content and design of the ELC-FS. Attendees made recommendations on:

• which minority or ‘less often heard’ groups should have boosted samples
• how to best engage these groups
• evidence and policy needs the ELC-FS could the support
• key topics the study should cover.

June to July 2021

Read the full report on the findings from the online consultation survey of the scientific community (PDF)

Between 16 June to 5 July 2021, the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies invited future users of the study from across academia, government and third sector to make specific suggestions for content and design features through an online consultation survey. These fed into the questionnaire content and key design decisions. More than 120 submissions were received, covering recommendations and considerations for:

• creating an inclusive cohort
• study design features
• measures to include in the feasibility study
• record linkages to be conducted for the feasibility study.

August to September 2021

Read the presentation slides on the findings from the online consultation survey of the policy and practice community (PDF)

Between 20 August to 10 September, NCB invited with policy stakeholders, practitioners and researchers to share their views through an online survey on:

• the key groups the study should gather data on and the best ways of engaging these groups
• organisation’s evidence and policy needs that this study and the larger one could support
• the key content areas the study should explore.

August to September 2021

• Read the study team’s response to the questionnaire consultation feedback (PDF)

In August and September 2021, the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies issued a draft questionnaire for consultation. Feedback was sought on the following documents:

• Early Life Cohort Feasibility Study Primary Informant Questionnaire for Consultation (PDF)
• Early Life Cohort Feasibility Study Primary Informant Questionnaire for Consultation Appendix 1: Topics and questions that could not be included in current draft due to space constraints (PDF)
• Early Life Cohort Feasibility Study Non-questionnaire measures, and additional informant interview topic (PDF)