The BERRI system can help to keep an overview of all children who are the responsibility of a particular organisation like a Local Authority or placement provider.

• It can generate summary information about the needs of the population (including the potential for custom reports eg how many children self-harm, demonstrate physical aggression, or are at risk of CSE?)
• Information about change over time, taking account of life events (including “traffic light tables” of who is making progress and who needs additional input due to unexplained deterioration)
• The BERRI system can help to make decisions about which type of placement to use, as we are collecting data about the scores that can be managed within adoptive families, foster placements, residential homes, secure units and other types of placements.
• For example, some young people may have profiles that suggest they need residential care, and will no longer need to go via multiple foster placement breakdowns to get it. Likewise some young people in residential care may have settled to the extent that stepping down to foster placements is possible.
• BERRI provides a means to quantify the “value added” by various services or placement providers.
• We will soon have norms for the amount of change that typically occurs in the BERRI profile for children of each age group, placement type or level of complexity.
• We can then see whether particular interventions or placements improve these scores.
• This will allow providers to evidence the efficacy of their services, and commissioners to make informed choices about which placements and services to commission