Guidebook

Browse over 130 evidence-based interventions that have been rated for their impact on children and families’ outcomes

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Guidebook: UK Programmes only
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018

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Evidence rating:
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24
Cost rating:
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15
Guidebook: UK Programmes only
Child Outcomes:
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Child Age:
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018

.b is a school-based intervention aimed at supporting emotional regulation and sustained attention in young people aged between 11 to 18 years. It is delivered by teachers to students during timetabled school classes, or to groups of students who attend the intervention independently of their classroom schedule.

Evidence rating:
Cost rating:

Child outcomes:

  • Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing
    • Improved emotional wellbeing
    • Improved resilience
    • Reduced anxiety
    • Reduced depression

Population Characteristics

11 to 16 years old

Level of need: Universal
Race and ethnicities: Asian, Black, Mixed ethnic or racial background, White.

Model Characteristics

School-based

Setting: School, Community Centre.
Work-force: Parenting professional, Teachers.

UK available

UK tested

Last Reviewed: January 2021

4Rs and 2Ss is a therapeutic intervention for families living in disadvantaged communities with a 7- to 11-year-old child diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder or a conduct disorder. It is delivered by two practitioners and a family peer advocate to groups of six to eight families through 16 one-hour sessions.

Evidence rating:
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Child outcomes:

  • Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour
    • Improved behaviour
  • Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing
    • Improved social behaviour

Population Characteristics

7 to 11 years old

Level of need: Targeted-indicated
Race and ethnicities: Asian/Pacific Islander, Black/African AmericanHispanic/Latino, Native American, White.

Model Characteristics

Group

Setting: Outpatient setting, Community centre, School.
Work-force: Two mental health professionals and a family advocate

UK available

UK tested

Last Reviewed: February 2023

5 Pillars of Parenting (4–11 Years) is a targeted-selected intervention, aimed at Muslim parents with a child between the ages of 4 and 11 years. It is delivered in eight weekly sessions by a lead and co-practitioner to groups of 10 to 14 parents. In these sessions, parents learn how to communicate more effectively with their child, set appropriate boundaries, encourage positive child behaviour, and improve the parent–child relationship.

Evidence rating:
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Child outcomes:

  • Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour
    • Improved behaviour
    • Reduced hyperactivity
  • Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing
    • Improved emotional wellbeing
    • Improved social behaviour

Population Characteristics

0 to 15 years old

Level of need: Targeted-selected
Race and ethnicities: Asian/British Asian, Arab/British Arab.

Model Characteristics

Group

Setting: Early Years setting, Schools, Community settings.
Work-force: Qualified 5 Pillars of Parenting practitioners, who typically have a background in psychology or a related profession

UK available

UK tested

Last Reviewed: September 2017

Advanced LifeSkills Training is a school-based substance misuse prevention intervention for all children aged between 11 and 14 years old. It is delivered by teachers, social workers, or youth workers to groups of children in the classroom for 36 sessions. It teaches children and young people personal self-management skills, social skills, and strategies for resisting tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.

Evidence rating:
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Child outcomes:

  • Preventing substance abuse
    • Reduced alcohol use
    • Reduced drug use
    • Reduced smoking

Population Characteristics

12 to 13 years old

Level of need: Universal
Race and ethnicities: African American, Asian, Hispanic, Mixed ethnic background, White.

Model Characteristics

Group

Setting: Secondary School
Work-force: Teachers, social workers, or youth workers

UK available

UK tested

Last Reviewed: March 2017

All stars is a universal school-based intervention for children aged between 8 to 14 years. It is delivered by teachers to groups of children during the school day for 9 to 14 sessions. The primary goal of the intervention is to prevent or delay risky behaviours, specifically substance misuse and anti-social behaviour.

Evidence rating:
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Child outcomes:

  • Enhancing school achievement & employment
    • Declines in child school bond
    • Improved goal-setting skills
  • Preventing substance abuse
    • Reduced alcohol use
    • Reduced smoking
    • Reduced substance misuse

Population Characteristics

8 to 14 years old

Level of need: Universal
Race and ethnicities: African American, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, White.

Model Characteristics

Group

Setting: Primary school, Secondary school.
Work-force: Teacher

UK available

UK tested

Last Reviewed: March 2017

A school-based universal prevention intervention for children aged between 12 and 13 years. It is delivered by qualified trainers to a selected group of peer supporters across six sessions.

Evidence rating:
Cost rating:

Child outcomes:

  • Preventing substance abuse
    • Reduced smoking

Population Characteristics

12 to 13 years old

Level of need: Universal
Race and ethnicities: Not reported

Model Characteristics

Group

Setting: Secondary school
Work-force: Trainer

UK available

UK tested

Last Reviewed: January 2019

Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) is a highly specialist early parenting intervention to support deaf children aged 0 to 5 years. The intervention works with parents to help their child make best use of hearing technology and support listening and spoken language development through play-based therapy sessions.

It is delivered at Auditory Verbal UK (AVUK) centres, by Listening and Spoken Language Specialist certified Auditory Verbal practitioners who have undergone additional specialist training after qualification as speech and language therapists, teachers of the deaf, or audiologists.

Evidence rating:
Cost rating:

Child outcomes:

  • Enhancing school achievement & employment
    • Improved academic performance
    • Improved maths ability
    • Improved speech, language and communication

Population Characteristics

0 to 5 years old

Level of need: Targeted-indicated
Race and ethnicities: Not reported

Model Characteristics

Individual

Setting: Out-patient health setting
Work-force: Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS) certified Auditory Verbal practitioner

UK available

UK tested

Last Reviewed: January 2019

Becoming A Man is a school-based social and emotional learning intervention for children aged between 12 and 18 years old from lower socioeconomic backgrounds deemed at risk of failing to attain good academic outcomes and most likely to come into contact with the criminal justice system. It is delivered by counsellors to individuals and groups of adolescents for two years.

Evidence rating:
Cost rating:

Child outcomes:

  • Enhancing school achievement & employment
    • Improved school engagement
  • Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour
    • Reduced involvement in crime
    • Reduced violence

Population Characteristics

12 to 16 years old

Level of need: Targeted-selected
Race and ethnicities: Black, Hispanic.

Model Characteristics

Individual, Group

Setting: Secondary school, Sixth-form or FE college.
Work-force: Counsellors

UK available

UK tested

Last Reviewed: November 2019

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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