Local authority parenting scheme pilot launches
Joe Lepper
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Four councils are taking part in a scheme aimed at ensuring parenting programmes can offer effective support to families.
The move is being taken to “address the reasons why evidence-based interventions struggle to translate into the local context”, according to family support organisation Foundations, which is launching the scheme.
Called Changemakers, it will see so-called local evidence leaders deployed across the four local authorities involved, Merton, Stockport, Wirral and City of York, to tackle barriers facing programmes and champion their use.
The scheme also involves the Department for Education and is part of the government’s Family Hubs programme.
“It is hoped that Changemakers will address the stubborn gap between evidence and practice, giving more parents access to support that improves child development,” said Foundations.
Through the scheme three parenting programmes “that have demonstrated positive impacts for children” will be used.
These include Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities, which supports disadvantaged families with a child aged between two and 11 with behavioural difficulties.
Another is Family Foundations, a perinatal group-based programme for couples expecting their first child.
Also being used is the Resilience Triple-P support programme to help children facing bullying.
ICYMI 🔔 📢 We've announced the evidence-based parenting interventions we are funding under the Changemakers Programme.
— Foundations (@FoundationsWW) May 1, 2024
Changemakers will create local capacity to champion + facilitate evidence use to provide families with effective parenting support: https://t.co/zv5apIKZp0 pic.twitter.com/5hktcPjLp2
“Changemakers is about making evidence-based services more accessible to families and demonstrating the vital role of local evidence leadership in giving parents the support they need to ensure their children develop the relationships they need to thrive,” said Foundations chief executive Jo Casebourne.
Gail Gibbons, head of change, children's services and health at Youth Endowment Fund, which is also supporting the scheme, said: “There’s a growing body of evidence about what works to improve outcomes for children and their families. We need to come together to help practitioners, commissioners and policy-makers put this knowledge into practice.
"We hope the learning and insights gained from Changemakers will help other local authorities to adopt evidence-backed interventions, thereby helping families access the most effective forms of support."
Children’s minister David Johnston added: “Parents play the vital role in their children's development, which is why we have provided dedicated funding so family hubs can deliver evidence-based support for children and families, particularly for those who need it most.”
