Effective interventions and practices for parents experiencing complex and multiple needs

Completed Project

This project has now been completed. The linked publication can be viewed here:

Interventions for parents experiencing multiple and complex needs

Effective interventions and practices for parents experiencing complex and multiple needs

Summary

This protocol summarises plans for a systematic review of interventions, practices and programmes aimed at improving outcomes for vulnerable children and their parents.

Who, what, why and how?

There is strong evidence showing the potential benefits of parenting interventions for the wellbeing of children supported by early help and children’s social care (CSC) services. However, there is a need to identify the interventions and practice elements that are effective in working with families experiencing complex and multiple problems, and to find out what works in different contexts and for different groups of families.

As such, we have commissioned the Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI) to conduct a systematic review which aims to identify and describe:

  • Parenting interventions which have been shown to be effective in improving child and parent outcomes within a context relevant to the UK’s early help and CSC practice
  • Practice elements that are shared by effective interventions and observed to contribute to intervention effectiveness, covering both content and delivery characteristics
  • Evidence about for whom, and in which contexts, circumstances, and combinations the identified interventions and practices have the highest likelihood of being effective
  • Information relevant for the successful implementation of interventions, practices and programmes within the UK context.

Research Questions

The research questions for this review are:

  1. Which parenting interventions have strong evidence of their effectiveness in reducing child maltreatment and/or improving child outcomes when delivered to families experiencing multiple and complex needs, within a context relevant to UK early help and CSC practice? What are their pooled effects?
  2. What are the key moderators of effectiveness in parenting interventions for this group, focusing on:
    • Contextual characteristics including family complexity
    • Structural elements of programmes
    • Practice elements: to what extent do programme components contribute to or detract from the effectiveness of interventions? Have any been observed to be superfluous or contraindicated, including for specific subgroups?
  3. What is known about the implementation requirements and feasibility of effective interventions and practice elements, relevant to social care contexts in the UK?

How will we go about it

The review questions will be answered by a meta-analysis.

The review will include studies which focus on parents or carers of children with a mean age of up to 10 years, defined as having more complex and multiple needs. All included studies will be either randomised controlled trials or cluster-randomised controlled trials, and must deliver an intervention where at least 50% of sessions or content is directed at parents aimed at improving knowledge, skills or behaviours. The outcomes of interest are broad but, in summary, focus on child safety, well-being and improving later-life outcomes.

Included literature is not restricted by country, however, the review will place importance on the applicability of findings to the UK context, particularly in relation to an intervention’s ability to be implemented within the UK context.

This project also includes a rapid qualitative synthesis to explore enablers and barriers to intervention engagement and understand user perspectives on intervention delivery and effectiveness.

Delivery Partners

Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI), University of Oxford, Monash University, University of Amsterdam

Evaluation partners

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Due Date

This project is due to be completed by August 2024.
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Systematic review protocol: Effective interventions and practices for parents experiencing complex and multiple needs

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Qualitative evidence review protocol: Rapid evidence synthesis of perceptions, experiences, and barriers and enablers to successful implementation of interventions for parents experiencing complex & multiple needs

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Cost ratings:

Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.

Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.

Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.

Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.

Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.

Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.

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Child Outcomes:

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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Preventing child maltreatment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Enhancing school achievement & employment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Preventing substance abuse: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Preventing risky sexual behaviour & teen pregnancy: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Preventing obesity and promoting healthy physical development: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Evidence ratings:

Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.

Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.

Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.

Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.

Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.

Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.

Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.

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