A few months ago, we shared the opportunity, The Developing Child UK Priority Setting Partnership, run by Prof Jane Barlow and Dr Michael Fanner (Supporting Early Minds Research Network team) at the Uni of Oxford and the iHV in collaboration with the James Lind Alliance.

The James Lind Alliance (JLA) priority-setting approach brings together people with lived experience, carers, and professionals to identify and agree the most important unanswered questions for research. Through a structured and transparent process, stakeholders are first invited to submit questions about prevention, diagnosis, treatment or support that they feel are most important. These questions are then carefully reviewed and checked against existing evidence to ensure they represent genuine research uncertainties. A second prioritisation survey is used to rank the refined list of questions, before a final workshop brings a balanced group of participants together to discuss, refine and agree a shared “Top 10” set of priorities. This collaborative method ensures that future research is shaped by the voices of those most affected and focused on areas where new evidence can make the greatest difference.

Run by members of the Supporting Early Minds Research Network at the University of Oxford and the Institute of Health Visiting, the Developing Child UK Priority Setting Partnership will work with parents, carers, wider family members and practitioners to identify research priorities for community interventions that support the social and emotional development of babies, toddlers and pre-school children. By ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard equally, the project will identify the top 10 priorities that reflect the shared needs of families and practitioners, guiding funders and researchers towards studies that can make a real difference to young children’s lives.

The The Developing Child UK JLA PSP Steering Group has completed a highly successful first JLA survey, which closed just before Christmas. The survey received 595 responses, generating 903 submitted research questions, indicating strong engagement across stakeholder groups. Notably, parents and carers accounted for 51% of respondents, making them the largest participant group, while health practitioners represented 24%. The remaining responses came from a range of other stakeholders, including social care professionals and volunteers. The team is particularly encouraged by the high level of participation from parents and carers, aligning well with the JLA’s commitment to centring lived experience in research prioritisation.

Building on these results, the team is now progressing to the development of the second and final prioritisation survey, which will be informed by analysis of the submitted questions and ongoing evidence checking. This final survey is scheduled to launch in March/April. The project remains on track, with plans to hold the final prioritisation workshop by June, where stakeholders will come together to agree the final set of research priorities.