Early Intervention Foundation welcomes government’s fresh focus on evidence-based family support

Statement: for immediate release

The Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) welcomes the government’s fresh focus on evidence-based family support interventions, as set out in the paper published today by DWP.

Improving lives: Helping workless families highlights the importance of evidence-based interventions designed to address the multiple and overlapping disadvantages experienced by workless families and the significantly poorer outcomes faced by their children. The government has taken the welcome and essential step of embedding this fresh focus on evidence-based interventions into plans for the next phase of the Troubled Families programme.

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On new support for the parental relationship

Today’s announcements reflect a growing recognition of the importance of the relationship between parents for their children’s future wellbeing.

Previous EIF research with Professor Gordon Harold from the University of Sussex has confirmed that the quality of the relationship between parents has a significant impact on longer-term outcomes for a child’s mental health, achievement and wellbeing. Intense and unresolved conflict between parents is an especially significant negative factor.¹ Ongoing EIF research confirms that families who are experiencing financial pressures or poverty are more likely to experience relationship conflict and less likely to access support services.² By investing in proven parental conflict provision – regardless of family structure – this government announcement has the potential to improve outcomes for children in families experiencing worklessness.

Carey Oppenheim, EIF chief executive, says:

“We are familiar with interventions designed to support the adult couple relationship, and with other interventions designed to support parenting. Today’s announcement marks an essential and long overdue shift to focusing on the benefits for children’s development and wellbeing that can come from effective family support interventions.”

Professor Gordon Harold, University of Sussex, says:

“This announcement builds on the very latest UK-led research highlighting how the interparental relationship, whether parents are living together or not, significantly affects children's mental health across all ages. Supporting parents early will pay significant long-term dividends for children and future families, with a particular focus on supporting the needs of parents and children who experience economic disadvantage.”

The quality of the relationship between parents is not typically a focal point in many services that work with families, and despite the best efforts of the relationship support sector, it is an area where interventions are underdeveloped in the UK. EIF welcomes the government’s commitment to ensure funding is available for evaluation and testing new approaches.

Tom McBride, EIF director of evidence, says:

“There is strong evidence on the link between couple relationships and children's mental health. It is crucial that we build on this research. The government’s announcement provides a real opportunity to grow the UK evidence base on how couple relationship support can be used to improve outcomes for children.”

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On proposed changes to the Troubled Families programme

It is a key lesson from the evaluation of the first Troubled Families programme that interventions commissioned as part of the programme must be evaluated, and that evidence based on these evaluations isshared openly and reflected in policy.

Through our research, we know that interventions exist that have been shown, through robust evaluation methods, to improve outcomes for families with characteristics similar to the Troubled Families cohort. It is important that information about these programmes and practices is made available, and that they are used, because they are more likely to be effective than other approaches.

Tom McBride, EIF director of evidence, says:

“In our view, the government will only deliver on the objectives of the Troubled Families programme if they make best use of evidence. This announcement signals a welcome commitment to commissioning evidence-based programmes, thereby maximising the likelihood that outcomes for vulnerable families will be improved, while also delivering value for money to the taxpayer.”

Improving and expanding family support available through the Troubled Families programme is not a sufficient response to the challenge of reducing worklessness or financial stress, but it can provide an essential protection to reduce the impacts of worklessness and poverty on children in affected families.

Carey Oppenheim, EIF chief executive, says:

“In terms of support for vulnerable families, interventions to address parental conflict have been largely absent from national policy and local plans. The evidence shows that the quality of the relationship between parents has a critical influence on how children fare now and in the future. It is a real step forward that family conflict will be a priority area in the next phase of the Troubled Families programme.”

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Notes:

• The Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) is an independent charity that champions and supports the use of effective early intervention to improve the lives of children, young people and their families, reduce hardship and improve value for money in the long run. As a member of the What Works network, EIF is dedicated to expanding and communicating the evidence base related to early intervention in the UK. For more information, see: http://www.eif.org.uk/

• Information on a range of evidence-based programmes, including parenting and family interventions, is available via the EIF Guidebook: http://guidebook.eif.org.uk/

• EIF chief executive Carey Oppenheim has written a blogpost, ‘Five key lessons from the Troubled Families evaluation’ (October 2016): http://www.eif.org.uk/five-key-lessons-from-the-troubled-families-evaluation/

• As part of its work, EIF has provided a summary of the available evidence on family support interventions to DCLG.

References:

1. EIF report, What Works to Enhance Inter-Parental Relationships and Improve Outcomes for Children? (March 2016): http://www.eif.org.uk/publication/what-works-to-enhance-inter-parental-relationships-and-improve-outcomes-for-children-3/
2. Current EIF research, conducted with Professor Gordon Harold and the University of Sussex, as part of a programme of work on early intervention and poverty, in partnership with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). Summary findings are available on request.

Contact:

Mark Ballinger
EIF Head of Communications
E: mark.ballinger@eif.org.uk
T: 020 3542 2481 (switchboard)