On 23 September 2025, members of the Senedd in Wales heard about two vital social science research projects offering evidence-led insights into Welsh public policy.
At a lunchtime briefing event, organised by the Campaign for Social Science and hosted by Cefin Campbell MS (Plaid Cymru, Mid & West Wales), two Swansea University academics addressed an audience of elected members, researchers, academics and civil society representatives about their work, and offered recommendations which could help improve public services in Wales.
Dr Emily Lowthian, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Education and Childhood Studies at Swansea University, spoke about the educational trajectories of care-experienced children. Around 1% of the child population in Wales is now in the care system; a figure which has been rising steadily since 2014. Emily’s research offers new insights into their educational trajectories and what can be done to improve the life chances for some of Wales’ most vulnerable young people. Amongst her evidence-based recommendations for policymakers were calls for an expansion of the Welsh Virtual School Model for more local authorities, with her research indicating that areas with high numbers of children in care would benefit from the strategic leadership of a Virtual School Head (VSH), who can guide social workers, advocate within schools, and ensure decisions are made in the child’s best interests. She also called for an end to suspensions and exclusions for care-experienced children, with a focus instead on promoting managed moves that involve the child and their carer in a collaborative process that prioritises stability and wellbeing.
Emily said: “This study is revolutionary for being one of its kind in Wales to follow the progress of a group of children in care from birth to age 16. We were able to follow and analyse that group of learners’ educational outcomes at Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and at GCSE attainment – not just to understand whether they did better or worse than their peers, but also to better understand the factors in their lives that led to that.”
The audience also heard from Ella Rabaiotti, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Swansea University, on her research into “warm hubs” – spaces which provide a warm and safe place to access refreshments, food and local support. The Welsh Government has provided a total of £2.5 million in funding since 2022 for such hubs across Wales, with over 850 such spaces being established across the country during winter 2022/2023, reportedly providing support to over 117,000 people. Ella’s research into the development of warm hubs in Swansea has found broader societal benefits in developing social connections, promoting inclusivity and reducing social isolation.
Ella said: “Warm hubs were seen by respondents to my research as safe and inclusive spaces, which also fulfilled broader societal objectives around inclusivity and reducing social isolation. A third of participants talked of how the warm hubs boosted their sense of wellbeing. Hubs also fulfilled a wider role in signposting older or vulnerable people towards support or learning opportunities.”
You can watch the full presentations from both Emily and Ella below.
You can also read briefings on Emily and Ella’s research on the educational trajectories of care-experienced children (in English and in Welsh) and the role of warm hubs (in English and in Welsh).
The Campaign for Social Science will continue to shine a spotlight on policy-relevant social science research in the run-up to next year’s Senedd elections, and to work with our Fellows and Campaign supporters in Wales to ensure that social science insights are brought to bear.