Core Components

The Parents Plus Children’s Programme is a supportive universal programme that can also be delivered as a targeted intervention for parents who have children aged 6–11 years, dealing with challenging circumstances including concerns about their child’s behaviour or emotions, this includes families of children with additional needs.  The programme can be delivered to groups or as an individual educational parenting programme in a wide range of settings including Primary Care, School, Health, Disability and Mental Health Services.  

The programme aims to help parents become responsive to their child's needs and their own needs, highlights practical strategies that parents can adopt to support the development of a positive relationship, build self-esteem and confidence, manage behavioural and emotional problems and reduce their own stress, problem solve with their children, establish positive daily routines, develop connected and close family relationships and encourage their children’s learning and schoolwork.  

Parents Plus Children’s Programme is a manualised programme, led by 2 facilitators who are trained professionals in the field of childcare, mental health, family support and education.  The programme is delivered to small groups over 6–12 weekly sessions with each session lasting 2.5 hours.  An operationalised weekly group session structure is provided for practitioners. 

Core materials include a comprehensive Facilitator manual with session protocols; two hours of DVD footage with over 60 real and role-played scenes of family interactions; two Parent Books with detailed handouts and worksheets; a Parenting Together book and poster to highlight key programme components. Additional materials are accessible via a special members section on the website.

Fidelity

The Parent Plus Children’s Programme includes a Parents Plus Quality Protocol which is designed to be used by facilitators to maintain both the delivery format and the client-centred/strengths-based principles at the heart of the programme.  The protocol includes:

• Establishing client centred goals with families with underpinning checklists
• Following the core evidence-based principles of the programmes
• Gaining session by session feedback from clients to ensure progress
• Setting aside a weekly reflective space in supervision to review client progress and their own practice.

In addition to the Quality Protocol (1) Standardised training (2) Agency organisational supports including a manual and range of materials/tools and (3) Coaching and Accreditation programmes aim to support effective replication and fidelity.

Modifiable Components

This universal/targeted programme runs for 6-12 weeks and materials for this programme are available in English.  Delivery in community settings is usually a shorter number of sessions – over six to eight group sessions, while delivery in specialist settings is longer – eight to twelve sessions which includes targeted individual sessions for families.

Facilitators, following the core programme format, can modify to include some additional content (e.g. drugs and alcohol input or input on sexuality or LGBQT issues etc as needed with the particular client group) which is explained in the manual and sample session plans for additional content are included. The programme is also suitable for parents of children with additional needs.

Parents Plus is based in Dublin where agencies can access organisational support.  The Parents Plus Children’s Programme is one of seven programmes.

Support for Organisation / Practice

Implementation Support

Parents Plus offers implementation support in the form of an agency readiness guide available for sites considering implementation. Additional support can be provided to agencies to implement and evaluate the roll out of the Parents Plus Programmes. Parents Plus also offer support to promote and market new organisation’s programmes to get them off the ground along with advice on evaluating outcomes. Any data collected is the property and responsibility of the implementing site.  Data analysis can be provided by Parents Plus at an additional cost.

Implementation supports also include a meeting with site managers and Parents Plus trainers approximately 6 months prior to initial training to address the implementation requirements and licensing guidelines. Service managers are expected to attend this meeting to ensure that they are fully aware of, and in agreement with, the implementation requirements. The organisation is required to form a steering group, consisting of potential referrers, funders and managers, to oversee the implementation and appointing of a co-ordinator.

Licensing Requirements

A license is required to deliver the programme and licensing guidelines listing the conditions for use by facilitators are available.

Start-up Costs

Scheduled training is held face to face or online. The following training options are available for the Parents Plus Children’s Programme:

• 3-day training (9.30am – 4.30pm) face to face or via 5 online workshops (9.30am – 1.30pm) - €490 per person.
• Onsite training, upon request and depending on the number of trainees, costing between €200 - €400 per attendee (excluding trainer accommodation and travel).
• Parents Booklets – pack of 15 parent booklets which includes worksheets and handouts - €120.

Follow-up Costs:

• Accreditation package costs €350 including submission of portfolio for review.
• Individual supervision 1-hour in duration per session costs €60 per facilitator.
• Group supervision is offered via ½ day workshops with a focus on meeting other facilitators and sharing practice issues - costs €60 per facilitator.
• Parents Plus also offer periodic ½ day advanced practice workshops that trained facilitators can sign up for at low or no cost.

Building Staff Competency

Qualifications Required

Facilitator training is only open to trained professionals in the field of childcare, mental health, family support and education professionals such as social workers, speech and language therapists, teachers, public health nurses, health visitors, psychologists, and psychiatrists.

Training Requirements

Facilitators are required to attend a programme specific three-day (9.30-4.30pm) face to face training course, which is also available as 5 online workshops (9.30-1.30pm) before delivering Parents Plus materials to parents. The content of the training covers three core areas (1) Understanding the Parents Plus Children’s Programme (2) Delivering Individual and Family Sessions (3) Facilitating Groups with Parents.   Facilitators will also be given the opportunity to practice the skills in role play and will receive feedback and support.

A train the trainer model is available to ensure a long-term, sustainable benefit for facilitators’ communities and organisations.

Supervision Requirements

Parents Plus offer post-training support to assist Facilitators in the delivery of their groups in the form of Supervision, Advanced Practice Groups and Individual Supervision available face to face or via Skype.

Supervision is a requirement and it is recommended that a mixture of individual and group sessions is undertaken. Two follow-up supervision sessions, typically of a 50-60-minute duration, are included in the cost of the training to be undertaken in the first 12 months post training. Ongoing supervision thereafter is available, individual supervision €60 (1 hour) and group supervision workshop €60 (3.5 hours).

An established Accreditation process is available for facilitator’s who wish to pursue this option. The full Accreditation package, which includes four supervision sessions, accreditation submission with portfolio review, is available at a cost of €350.

Theory of Change

Parents Plus programmes are grounded in developmental psychology, social learning theory, solution-focused therapy and family system theory and therapy. The overarching practice framework is solution focused systemic therapy. Group facilitators work collaboratively with families to help them set and achieve their goals. This involves the use of role play and video modelling. Parents practice new skills at home and receive strength-based feedback from the facilitators. Parents’ goals are reviewed at each session and adaptations are made to the programme if needed. 

Values

Parents Plus believes in empowering the professionals and families they work with. The programme is focused on encouraging children and parents to achieve their potential with training focused on encouraging professionals to achieve the highest standards of excellence.  The Parent Plus Children’s Programme is designed to help parents draw on their strengths to develop strategies to support their child’s development and adopt a positive parenting approach.

• Is the delivery of Parents Plus Children’s Programme aligned with the key values of your organisation?

Priorities

The programme can be utilised as a supportive educational programme that prioritises managing behaviour and emotional problems, building children’s self-esteem and confidence, reducing parental stress, problem-solving together, developing daily routines and establishing goals, developing close family relationships and encouraging children’ learning and schoolwork.  

• Is working with parents to support their child’s emotionally, socially and academically development a current priority for your service?
• Is working with parents and children to support the development of nurturing supportive relationships a current priority for your service?

Existing Initiatives

• Will this programme fit with the existing parenting interventions in your area?

Workforce

The Parents Plus Children’s Programme requires 2 trained facilitators who are trained professionals in the field of childcare, mental health, family support and education to deliver each parenting group over a period of 6–12 weeks for 2.5 hrs per week.  In addition, it is recommended that facilitators set aside 1-1.5 hrs for weekly review and planning time (an additional 1-2 hrs are required when running a group for the first time), reflection and form completion necessary for accreditation which requires 0.5-1 hr and facilitators pursuing accreditation which require 5-15 hrs for portfolio completion.

• Do you have practitioners with the recommended level of qualification who would be interested in becoming group facilitators?
• Do these practitioners have experience working with parents in a group setting and working in a collaborative, solution focussed way to support families?
• Do you have practitioners available with the capacity to deliver the full requirements of this programme?

The programme requires a supervisor from the implementing agency to oversee delivery on a weekly basis and provide support and guidance for any issues that may arise.

• Do you have appropriate staff experienced in supervising others, available to be trained and provide weekly supervision to the practitioners?

Technology Support

Essential equipment required to run the programme include a computer and use of filming equipment to maintain fidelity and submit practitioner’s films for the accreditation process.

• Do you have the technology to support practitioners to deliver the programme?
• Will staff have regular access to a computer for remote supervision meetings?

Administrative Support

Parents Plus advises that a steering group oversees the implementation of the programme. This includes the appointment of a co-ordinator. In addition, recruitment of parents, receiving referrals, collecting and reporting on evaluation data and feedback, printing of materials along with co-ordinating cycles of delivery of the programme requires administrative support.

• Does your current organisational structure have the capacity to set up and monitor implementation processes?
• Would you be able to recruit a co-ordinator with the capacity to take on this role?
• Do your current administrative procedures support your practitioners to implement a programme like this?
• Do you have use of facilities that are suitable and available for the duration of the group?

Financial Support

Start-up costs include training and materials €490 per person; parent booklets at €120; training as part of an onsite cohort costing between €200 - €400; supervision (individual or group) at a cost of €60 per person per session.

• Do you have the finances to pay for practitioners to attend this training and be released from their role to deliver the group?
• Do you have the finances to support practitioners undertake supervision and to go through the accreditation process?
• Do you have the finances to pay for workbooks for parents and the printing of worksheets, leaflets and handouts for the delivery of the programme?
• Is there access to finances to provide refreshments for the parents for the duration of the group?

Comparable Population

The Parents Plus Children’s Programme is aimed at parents of children aged 6-11 years including those with additional needs, who wish to develop strategies to manage behaviour and emotional problems, build their child’s self-esteem and confidence, reduce their own stress, problem solve with their children, establish positive daily routines, develop connected and close family relationships and encourage their children’s learning and schoolwork.  Group leaders work collaboratively with parents in a solution focused, strength-based way to achieve their goals.

Research has been undertaken that includes children aged 6-12 years.  Study populations include children with minor learning disabilities and also significant behavioural problems both with and without associated developmental difficulties in the community and school contexts.

• Does your organisation have contact with families who would benefit from this intervention?
• Are you likely to receive sufficient referrals to populate recurring groups?
• Do you have existing initiatives that would be supportive of addressing this need and achieving these outcomes?

Desired Outcome

The Parents Plus Children’s Programme is a supportive universal/targeted intervention designed to be delivered in the community setting for parents with children aged 6–11 years who wish increase child positive social behaviour, reduce behaviour problems, reduce emotional problems, decrease parental stress and increase parent confidence.

Research has identified that programme has delivered significant reductions in total difficulties and conduct problems, significant improvements in peer problems, prosocial behaviour and child problem behaviour.  From a parental perspective, evaluation has identified a decrease in parental stress, increase in parental confidence and significant improvements in parent-defined problems and goals.

• Are the outcomes of increasing child positive social behaviour, reducing behaviour problems and reducing emotional problems aligned with the service intended outcomes?
• Are the outcomes of decreasing parents stress, and increasing parental confidence aligned with the service intended outcomes?
• Do you have other existing initiatives that would be supportive of addressing this need and achieving these outcomes?