An evaluation of Family Harmony found that families positively engaged with the programme with 42 of the 65 families (64%) referred onto the programme taking up the offer. Among the families that started Family Harmony, 60% completed it, with families with a child with SEND more likely to complete it. Referrals and attendance were seen to be affected by the time of year and holiday periods.
There is strong evidence that conflict in families can have a significant negative impact on children's mental health and long-term life chances. Difficulties in communication, as well as a range of additional pressures on family life, such as transitions and supporting a child with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), can all exacerbate conflict within families. Families can also face barriers, such as stigma, in seeking support directly for family conflict.
The Family Harmony intervention was developed by the Coram Parenting and Creative Therapy team with support from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is an innovative and strengths-based multi-family group programme integrating music therapy, art therapy, and family therapy techniques. The intervention, which runs over 10 weeks, is delivered to cohorts of up to five families per group and emphasises healthy communication to enhance skills in emotional regulation, mentalising, mindfulness, attentive listening, calming techniques, and family attunement.
Positive engagement
An evaluation of Family Harmony found that families positively engaged with the programme with 42 of the 65 families (64%) referred onto the programme taking up the offer. Among the families that started Family Harmony, 60% completed it, with families with a child with SEND more likely to complete it. Referrals and attendance were seen to be affected by the time of year and holiday periods.
Some parents and carers reported that they and their family members benefited from a better understanding of each other, spending quality time together and strengthened communication and shifts in parenting style. However, some families did not report the same benefits due to having a different expectation of the type of support offered as part of Family Harmony. To mitigate this, practitioners emphasised the importance of conveying a clear offer to families both at referral stage and at the beginning of the programme.
Children reported that they liked the music and art activities and spending time together but did not enjoy sessions in which talking predominated. Overall, families noted the value of being able to seek further support if needed and not feeling alone in the face of challenges as well as feeling more connected to their local community.
Flexibility
Practitioners identified flexibility as key for tailoring the programme to complex family lives and individual needs. Facilitating a safe space in groups was seen as paramount for encouraging the development of peer support in the groups, a key element of the programme. Practitioners also discussed ways to enhance accessibility, such as offering sessions at a different time (for example, weekends) to boost male attendance, and the option of translators not only during sessions but also at referral stage.
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5 top tips for practitioners running family groups:
1. Be flexible
Using a flexible approach to the sessions allows space for families to say what did and didn't work for them. Every family is different, and as practitioners get to know their families over the sessions, they can adapt the sessions to make them accessible and engaging depending on a family's needs.
2. Hold the boundaries
Boundaries are important because they help everyone to feel safe and have a shared understanding of the expectations in a situation or relationship, and how to be respectful of one another. In the first session practitioners can create a Family Harmony group agreement covering confidentiality, mutual respect, mobile phone usage and the process for handling situations where a child or parent may need additional support.
3. Be creative
The Family Harmony intervention integrates ideas from art and music therapy. However, practitioners don't need to be therapists to explore creativity and can trust in their own creative expression. Creativity aids emotional regulation, offering a healthy outlet to process and manage emotions, which in turn reduces stress, and promotes mental wellbeing. Creative activities can offer families the opportunity to explore different themes using mark making and music. This helps to foster understanding and empathy for themselves and others and further develop attunement within relationships. Importantly, creativity enhances communication in non-verbal ways, allowing for the expression of complex feelings that might be difficult to articulate.
4. Create space for special moments
In a therapeutic group, small moments can lead to big change. In the stresses of day-to-day life, it can be difficult for families to find time to come together to do activities. Having a creative space offers families special moments to learn about each other and build their connection. It also helps families share difficulties and strengths, providing an opportunity to celebrate difference.
5. Encourage modelling
Due to demands on parents, they can sometimes find it hard to slow down and be playful. Facilitators can model a playful approach which encourages parents to get involved. As parents join in, they can learn to be present with their child and have fun.
