The MELD Study

There were two stages to the MELD study.

Stage one of the MELD study, conducted in 2022-2023, involved collecting data about the characteristics of services from 161 community-based services for children with learning disabilities and behaviours that challenge throughout England. Through statistical methods and consultation with family carers and clinicians, we were able to describe five distinct ways that services are organised and structured (“service models”).

Stage two of the MELD study, conducted in 2023-2026, involved comparing child and family outcomes and experiences of services, with comparisons being made between the different service models. We asked family carers to complete outcome measures about their child and themselves just before they started to receive a service and again approximately 12 months later, to see if anything had changed. Costs data were gathered as part of the study for economic analysis. We also conducted two sets of case studies, which involved interviewing families, staff in services, staff external to services, and commissioners. One set of case studies focused on experiences of services from different service models, the other focused more specifically on experiences of co-production of training within services.

This project involved a team of researchers and professionals who contributed their wide range of expertise and experiences.

We worked with an advisory group of families throughout this research to make key decisions, and give us feedback on what we are doing and what the research findings mean.

You can contact us about this study by emailing meldstudy@contact.bham.ac.uk

Current members of the research team

Chief Investigator:

Professor Richard Hastings (University of Birmingham)

Study manager:

Dr Nicholas Manktelow (University of Birmingham)

Other team members:

Dr Paul Thompson (Study Statistician), Professor Peter Langdon, Dr Nick Gore, Professor Jill Bradshaw, Professor Caroline Richards (University of Birmingham), Professor Kate Seers (University of Warwick), Dr David Gillespie (Cardiff University), Dr Ashley Liew (South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust), Dr Mark Lovell (Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust), Professor Stavros Petrou, Dr Elizabeth-Ann Shroeder (Oxford University), Dr Lou Thomas, (NHS England), Viv Cooper, and Gemma Grant (Challenging Behaviour Foundation).