NIHR CLAHRC YH – supporting the provision of evidence-based parenting programmes
Poor social emotional wellbeing and potential disruptive behaviour problems in the early years have a major negative impact on individual lifelong wellbeing, and on society. They increase the risk for long-term trajectories of educational failure, juvenile delinquency and adult anti-social behaviour, as well as poor health. Evidence-based parenting programmes, delivered in early life, are effective in improving parent mental health, child behaviour and social and emotional wellbeing. The two programmes recommended by NICE to prevent/reduce conduct disorder, are Incredible Years and Triple P. However, these (and other) evidence-based parent programmes are developed outside of the UK raising issues of transportability and cultural acceptability.
Research question: What parent programme works for whom and under what circumstances?
Specific questions include:
· Which available parent programme is most acceptable (uptake and retention), and effective, in areas with high levels of cultural diversity and deprivation, and why?
· What accommodations/adaptations could be, or have been, implemented to meet cultural needs and what impact have they had on outcomes?
· What is the cost of delivering these programmes?
The project is broken into four work packages (WP);
WP1. Exploration Study – to establish which programmes are currently delivered within four wards of Bradford; City, Bowling and Barkerend, Bradford Moor and Little Horton.
WP2. Measures Review – to identify assessment validated tools with longevity across various domains to ultimately assess programme effectiveness for 0-5 year age range.
WP3. Parents’ views – of programme acceptability (including any adaptations, barriers or facilitators to attendance).
WP4. Costing – providing micro-costing of selected programmes with potential for cost-consequence, cost-effectiveness, or cost-benefit analysis with additional funding.
A variety of tasks and projects are now underway to inform these questions and raise inclusivity to evidence-based parent programmes to raise social emotional wellbeing in areas of cultural diversity.
Our work so far includes;
WP1. Exploration study
An online survey has been designed and distributed which explores the availability, flexibility and accessibility of parent programmes in relation to the overall delivery. The survey also looked specifically at the structure, target audience and convenience of each programme identified.
Telephone interviews have been conducted with a respondents (such as managers and practitioners working in parenting) who completed the online survey. The telephone interviews had three main areas of interest in relation to the programmes on offer (as identified in the online survey); training and support, uptake and retention, and fidelity and outcomes.
A report combining the findings of WP1 and WP3 was published in May 2016. Read the report in full here.
WP2. Measures review
A systematic review of outcome measures used to evaluate the impact of parent programmes for parents of children aged 0-5 years is being conducted. Relevant outcome domains of parenting programmes include those which relate to the parent’s well-being, the child’s well-being and the functioning of the parent-child relationship. The findings of the review will lead to the development of a core set of recommended measures for researchers and practitioners evaluating parent programmes.
WP3. Parent’s views
Focus groups took place in the three Better Start Bradford wards in June 2015 to gather parents’ views in relation to the acceptability of parent programmes currently being delivered. The focus groups aimed to establish what adaptations could be implemented to existing programmes and referral methods to meet cultural need and break down barriers, as well as to identify what methods are most effective in encouraging participation, attendance and retention on the local population.
A report combining the findings of WP1 and WP3 was published in May 2016. Read the report in full here.
Related studies
