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AbstractThis article outlines an innovative project to encourage knowledge sharing and engagement between academics and a policy team within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C). The project was designed to enhance policy advice by drawing on a group of academics outside the policy ranks to act as a sounding board, to question, and provide differing perspectives within the policy process of crafting advice to government. External expertise and particularly academic research has the potential to improve evidence‐based policy but often fails to be specific or timely for those at the "pointy end" of policy decision making. An informal knowledge sharing framework has the potential to improve the exchange of information through confidential and targeted conversations between researchers and public servants as one way of overcoming these barriers.

AbstractSince the 1970s, there has been growing academic interest in children and young people living in state care and, more recently, in the lives of disabled children. However, there has been little attention on the lives of disabled children who are looked after by the state. This paper compares and critiques what is known about the numbers of disabled children who are looked after in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. We discuss the conceptual and methodological limitations of systematically collecting data on disabled children in state care across the UK. We argue that to ensure that the rights of disabled children in state care are identified, acknowledged and upheld, 'being counted' is a fundamental first step.

The Scoping Study was initiated in response to the Programme for Government 2016-2021 indicator, 'Improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and their families'. The Disability Research Network was approached to assist the Department for Communities in the development of this indicator. The scoping study included 5 objectives: (1) To review the international literature on quality of life (QoL) measurements for people with disabilities and their families; (2) To develop recommendations for key definitions; (3) To assess existing and emerging data sources for potential use; (4) To develop recommendations for a preferred option; and (5) To test the recommended QoL measure.