Research and Policy Updates are intended to help agencies keep up to date with national research and policy developments. They provide monthly signposts to useful material that you might otherwise miss.

The RPU will be useful for anyone working in children and family service agencies and Children's Trusts in local authorities and voluntary organizations. It is likely to be of particular interest to people with lead operational and policy responsibility for children and family services and those with a special interest in Evidence Informed Practice.

The content of the RPU will depend on the month in which it is written.

• Most monthly issues will review newly-published research articles available in print or on the web
• each monthly issue will record new parliamentary business, new consultation documents and reports, and new government structures/initiatives
• a section on newly published research books will also be provided in the May, August and November issues
• a section on new or recently commissioned research studies will be provided in the March and September issues
• the December issue will include a summary of key research and policy topics over the preceding year.