Core Components

EPaS is a targeted parenting programme for parents of children aged 2-9 years with behavioural problems. Most of the evidence for this intervention programme comes from trials with health visitors, but it has also been delivered by CAMHS primary care staff, and early years parenting workers. This intervention programme is delivered at the clinic or home, and it supports parents as agents for promoting positive change in their children. EPaS therefore engages parents in the problem solving process, and empowers them to meet achievable goals. 

At the core of this programme is the premise of uniqueness in each child and parent situation, which allows for an individualised approach in providing support to parents. This is evident in the three phase approach used in programme delivery. 

• Phase 1: Is a standardised assessment procedure for the identification of the child’s problem behaviours. This phase is composed of 3 sessions, which is completed in three one hour weekly sessions. 

• Phase 2: Is a structured case analysis to establish necessary socially acceptable replacement behaviours, based on information collected in the assessment phase. It is made up of 1 session

• Phase 3: Involves implementation of non-standardised intervention strategies to promote parent child relationships, promote positive behaviour changes and teach replacement behaviours. These intervention strategies are based on behavioural principles, so parents are taught effective child management skills as part of the programme. This phase can be completed in up to 8 sessions, with one session completed every week. 

There is a combined number of 12 sessions in the three phases. Completion of all three phases is not a requirement of the EPaS programme, as parents may find delivery of the assessment process to be sufficient. The need for more sessions is therefore determined by the complexity of the problem behaviour. EPaS requires parents to keep child records throughout the process, and undertake homework assignments to achieve the desired changes. 

The EPaS manual is published by Routledge as a comprehensive practitioners training guide, and provides a detailed, stepwise approach to programme implementation.  

Fidelity

• Practitioners guide which provides comprehensive, stepwise approach to programme implementation

• Ensuring collection of all information in the standardised assessment phase (phase 1)

Modifiable Components 

The manual is only available in English. However programme delivery in another language has been done, as the programme has been delivered in Welsh to Welsh speaking families. 

Implementation Support

EPaS was developed by Professor Judy Hutchings in the late 1990s at the Department of Psychology, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales. Over the years, the programme mode of training and delivery has evolved, and EPaS 2014 is the current form of the EPaS programme.   

EPaS is published as a practitioner manual/ guide, which provides practitioners with clear practical guidelines and checklists to deliver the programme. EPaS intervention training is available for practitioners who work with families of children, or practitioners who work with staff involved with families of challenging children. Training is delivered by programme developers. The practitioner manual/ guide enables practitioners to deliver the programme without training. 

Licence Requirements

There is no license requirement.

Start-up Costs

EPaS is a clinic or home based programme delivered by health visitors and other practitioners working with parents of children aged 2 – 9. It is available as a published practitioner guide. Start-up costs include one-off purchase of the EPaS practitioners guide priced at £30, and EPaS intervention training priced at £500. Training is available at Bangor University, Bangor, Wales. Training elsewhere can be arranged if a group of at least 10 practitioners is to be trained. Group training costs £350 per practitioner, and additional discount can be received if more practitioners are to be trained, up to a maximum of 20 practitioners per group. Training cost does not include travel. 

Building Staff Competency

Qualifications Required

In the EPaS research trials, the programme was delivered by health visitors. However, EPaS has also been delivered by other practitioners working with families. It is suitable for school nurses, mental health nurses, social workers and CAMHS based clinical psychologists. 

Training Requirements

A three-day EPaS training is available, this training can also be delivered in-person or online. Online training takes place one day a month over 3 months. Each of the 3 training days focus on three components: assessment, case analysis and intervention.

Training is not a prerequisite to programme delivery.

Supervision Requirements

Supervision is not required, but it can be provided by EPaS programme developer. Supervision provides practitioners with training support and guidance in EPaS programme delivery. It costs £500 per day, plus travel and accommodation requirements. SKYPE supervision can also be provided for the same fee. 

Theory of Change 

EPaS is guided by social learning theory (SLT). This is evidenced in the SLT based individualised interventions, tailored to meet each family unique needs. It is also reflected in some of the basic teaching strategies for learning taught in this programme, which include attention, modelling and imitation. 

EPaS is a home or clinic based, individualised parenting programme. It is mainly been delivered by health visitors to parents of children aged 2-9 years with behavioural problems. The programme aims to support these parents in promoting social competencies in their children, and resolving childhood problems. 

• Does this align with the priorities of your organisation?

Priorities

• Is your organisation looking to implement a one-to-one clinic or home based programme that will be delivered by health visitors or other early years practitioners?
• Is providing a targeted parenting programme for parents of children with behaviour problems priority for your organisation?
• Would an individualised programme be a better fit for your organisation, or would a group intervention suit your organisation better?

Existing Initiatives 

• Does your agency have existing programmes targeted at children aged 2-9 years with behaviour problems?
• Are the existing initiatives effective? Do the existing initiatives fit your current and anticipated future requirements?
• Are there components within the EPaS programme that are not met by existing programmes?

Workforce

Health visitors or other early years practitioners are needed to deliver the programme to targeted parents. A 3 day EPaS intervention training is offered, but is not a prerequisite to programme delivery. This training is available to health visitors and other practitioners including school nurses, mental health nurses, social workers and clinical psychologists. Practitioners deliver the programme in weekly sessions, up to a maximum of 12 sessions. 

• Does your organisation have practitioners who are interested in learning and delivering this programme?
• If not, does your organisation have the capacity to identify and recruit health visitors and other early years practitioners for this programme?
• Bearing in mind the potentially heavy workload of health visitors, how does your organisation intend to sustain health visitors in this programme?
• Would your organisation involve other practitioners (including school nurses, mental health nurses, social workers and clinical psychologists) in delivering the programme?
• How many families will your organisation support in the first year? Based on this number, how many practitioners will be needed?

Technology Support

EPaS is published as a practitioner manual/ guide which provides practitioners with clear practical guidelines and checklists to deliver the programme. There are no technological requirements to deliver this programme.

Administrative Support

EPaS is delivered as a clinic or home based programme. 

• Does your organisation have the facility to deliver a clinic based programme? Or can your organisation provide administrative support to deliver a home based programme?

Financial Support

Start-up costs include one-off purchase of the EPaS practitioners guide priced at £30, and EPaS intervention training priced at £500. Training is optional and is available at Bangor University, Bangor, Wales. Training elsewhere can be arranged if a group of at least 10 practitioners is to be trained. Group training costs £350 per practitioner, and additional discount can be received if more practitioners are to be trained, up to a maximum of 20 practitioners per group. Training cost does not include travel. 

• How many practitioners will your organisation train on the EPaS programme? Can your organisation afford the training and manual costs for that number of practitioners?
• Bearing in mind the number of practitioners to be trained, will group training at your organisation be more cost effective?

Comparable Population 

EPaS is a targeted parenting programme for parents of children aged 2-9 years with behaviour problems.  The programme is designed to help parents enhance social competencies in their children, and resolve childhood problem behaviours. 

• Is this comparable to the population your organisation would like to serve?
• Has your organisation identified parents with children who have behavioural difficulties, for which this programme would be useful?

Desired Outcome

EPaS is a parenting programme that is associated with significant reductions in intensity of behavioural problems in children.  

• Are the above outcomes priorities for your organisation? Are there other outcomes that your organisation would like to achieve which are outside the premise of the EPaS programme?
• Does your organisation have other systems in place that effectively and efficiency address the above outcomes?