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Measuring mental health outcomes

Measuring outcomes generates evidence that helps organisations to improve support for children and young people, strengthen services and inform better decisions across the system.

Anna Freud helps organisations collect, analyse and use outcome and feedback data to improve mental health support for children, young people and families. This includes schools and colleges, NHS and private mental health services and voluntary sector organisations.

Through the Child Outcomes Research Consortium (CORC) and Pod, we provide expert guidance, digital tools, training, data analysis and consultancy to help organisations measure impact, improve practice and make evidence-informed decisions.

Our outcome measurement offer

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What is outcome measurement?

Outcome measurement is the collection of information about changes in someone's mental health, wellbeing, functioning or goals over time.

Used meaningfully and in collaboration with children, young people and families, this information can help inform care, improve services and evaluate whether support is making a difference.

There are many validated outcome measurement tools for mental health and wellbeing - which is most appropriate depends on who a service is working with, the intervention being used and the purpose of measurement.

Why is it important to measure mental health outcomes?

Measuring outcomes has many benefits, both for organisations and the children, young people and families they work with:

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Children and families at the centre of care

Outcome measures enable children and families to share how they are feeling and whether support is helping, which can influence their care.

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Delivering better support

Outcome and feedback data helps practitioners understand whether a child or young person is making progress and when support needs to change.

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Improving service provision

When organisations look at outcomes across many people, they can identify what is working well and where improvements are needed.

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Supporting resource allocation

Outcome data helps organisations understand needs, target interventions and make decisions about where resources will have the greatest impact.

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Demonstrating impact

Outcome measurement enables organisations to show commissioners, funders and stakeholders where their services are making a difference.

Related resources

  • Wellbeing Measurement for Schools (WMfS)

    Discover CORC's Wellbeing Measurement for Schools (WMfS) approach. Capture insights, generate reports and use evidence-based tools to strengthen support across your school.

    Read moreWellbeing Measurement for Schools (WMfS)
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  • Measuring pupil wellbeing

    Find out more about how and why to measure pupil wellbeing and how to measure the wellbeing of groups of pupils using cohort surveys.

    Read moreMeasuring pupil wellbeing
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  • Measuring school staff wellbeing

    Find out more about the role of surveys in improving school and college staff wellbeing, what to include in staff surveys and how to implement them effectively.

    Read moreMeasuring school staff wellbeing
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  • Evidence in Practice and Prevention: CORC Forum 2026

    Join members, colleagues and experts from the mental health, research and education sectors at CORC’s flagship event.

    Read moreEvidence in Practice and Prevention: CORC Forum 2026
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