From hospital to community
The 10 Year Health Plan calls for care to move closer to where people live. Much of the ARC's research was already doing this – working in care homes, GP surgeries, council offices, and community settings to develop and test approaches that keep people out of hospital and improve the care they receive where they are. These case studies span frailty, dementia, rehabilitation, safeguarding, and commissioning across the Thames Valley and beyond.
When hospital is the problem: building the economic case for treating eating disorders at home
Hospital admission for adolescent eating disorders can disrupt recovery. ARC OxTV is building the economic evidence for Hospital at Home – an intensive community-based alternative developed in the Thames Valley.
England expanded children's mental health services – but disadvantaged young people are still being turned away
Analysis of nearly 33,000 pupils in the OxWell Student Survey reveals that children from disadvantaged and minority ethnic backgrounds are more likely to be denied mental health support and less likely to find it helpful.
Improving health and care for physically unwell care home residents
When care home residents become physically unwell, hospital admission is still the default – despite the harm it can cause. This research reveals what needs to change and where Hospital at Home is already working.
OxWell Student Survey: what 170,000 young people told us about their mental health
The OxWell Student Survey has gathered responses from over 170,000 young people across England since 2019. Its data platform returns findings directly to schools and local authorities, driving changes to mental health support, school policies, and commissioning decisions.
Proving what works: how evaluation shaped a national programme
ARC OxTV's evaluation of England's digital weight management programme proved it cost-effective and equitable – directly influencing the 10 Year Health Plan commitment to double referrals, reaching 125,000 more people annually.
Keeping families together safely: six years of evidence on safeguarding reform
Six years of evidence on Oxfordshire's whole-family safeguarding reform. Children experienced fewer intensive interventions and shorter time in services – but only when key elements were delivered consistently. What worked, what didn't, and what comes next.
From clinical trial to community centre: getting proven rehabilitation into NHS practice
ARC OxTV researchers developed online training and digital tools to get proven rehabilitation programmes for rheumatoid arthritis, spinal stenosis, and shoulder problems into NHS practice faster – cutting appointments and reaching underserved communities.
Helping anxious children by empowering their parents
A digital programme empowering parents to treat child anxiety reduced clinician time by 40% with equivalent outcomes. Now NICE-recommended and used by over 1,000 families, it is rolling out across the NHS and internationally.
Counting the cost of childhood excess weight
New research quantifies the NHS costs of childhood overweight and obesity at £270 million per year and identifies critical windows for early intervention – strengthening the economic case for prevention in England.
Turning data into decisions: targeting early help for vulnerable families in Oxfordshire
How Oxfordshire County Council and University of Oxford researchers turned routine safeguarding data into decision-ready insight – revealing where need concentrates, what drives escalation, and how to target Family Hubs and early help more effectively.
What happens when a local authority gets its own research lead
How a dedicated research role within Oxfordshire County Council – supported by ARC OxTV – built governance, workforce skills, practitioner funding, and university partnerships to embed evidence-based practice across children's and adults' social care.
Equal Start Oxford: trusted advocates bridging the gap for migrant mothers
Equal Start Oxford trains local women as maternity advocates to support migrant mothers in East Oxford through pregnancy and early parenthood – bridging language, cultural, and access barriers that statutory services alone cannot reach. Now featured in national NHS England guidance.
Music, art, and drama as mental health support for Black young people
BLACK-ARTS explored whether creative arts therapies – music, drama, visual art – can provide mental health support that works better for Black young people in England. Findings from NHS focus groups, national survey data, a global meta-analysis, and a community music pilot point to a promising alternative to standard talking therapies.
Mapping where children's social care falls short – and where to act first
Researchers worked with Oxfordshire County Council to map geographic inequalities in children's social care referrals and identify the factors that drive escalation – evidence now shaping where the county locates its new Family Hubs.
Testing Moodscope in community support settings
A public research partner and an Oxford academic tested Moodscope cards as an accessible, engaging alternative to standard questionnaires – helping community organisations supporting families affected by parental imprisonment demonstrate their impact.
What memory clinics miss – and why it matters for people waiting for answers
Research from the Oxford Brain Health Clinic reveals that 84% of memory clinic patients experience neuropsychiatric symptoms at assessment – including those without a dementia diagnosis. The findings highlight substantial unmet needs in current memory services.
Transforming care planning for older adults in English care homes
Nearly 280,000 people in English care homes deserve person-centred care planning. ARC OxTV's inter-ARC research revealed why practice falls short – and produced free, co-designed tools now being used by care homes across England.
Evaluating integrated neighbourhood teams: building the evidence commissioners need
ARC OxTV researchers are evaluating whether integrated neighbourhood teams for frailty reduce hospital stays and costs across Oxfordshire, building the evidence commissioners need to make confident investment decisions.
Preventing falls and improving mobility in older adults
ARC OxTV research followed 5,400 older adults to develop a tool for spotting mobility decline early, proved that group rehabilitation improves mobility, and created free NHS training resources that support a shift towards community-based falls prevention.
When pregnant women monitor their own blood pressure, care gets safer – but only if the system acts on the readings
ARC OxTV research shaped national guidelines for blood pressure self-monitoring in pregnancy and showed that combining monitoring with remote medication management could make care safer – particularly for women from underserved communities.