Core Components

Triple P Online (TPOL) is part of the multi-level Triple P intervention System. The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program® is a parenting and family support system designed to prevent and treat behaviour and emotional problems in children and teenagers. The system takes a minimal sufficiency approach, offering families just the amount of support they require. It also takes a self-regulatory approach that encourages practitioners, parents and children to promote independent problem solving.

The Triple P System has five levels of intervention, each increasing in intensity and directed towards a different level of family need or dysfunction. The levels range from level 1 which takes a universal approach, to level 5 interventions which include programmes which offer intensive family support or families with complex concerns.

TPOL is a Level 4 Triple P intervention and is a self-directed programme for parents, aimed at reducing child behavioural problems through positive parenting practices. It is for parents of children up to 12 years old and supports parents to prevent problem behaviours from developing or for addressing moderate to severe behavioural problems in their child. The online mode of delivery can also benefit parents of children who have issues with accessing services (e.g. distance, timing, child care), live in geographically isolated areas or are in places where services have long waiting lists.

TPOL is comprised of 8 modules which cover; what is Positive Parenting, encouraging behaviour you like, teaching new skills, managing misbehaviour, dealing with disobedience, planning ahead, making shopping fun, and raising confident, capable kids. As each module is completed the next module is unlocked and can be accessed. Each module takes 30-60 minutes to complete. Modules include; Video-based psychoeducation, Video modelling of parenting skills, Interactive exercises (i.e. checklists, rating scales, and multiple-choice quizzes) and individual goal setting. Each module ends with a ‘get active’ section that asks users to develop achievable goals and set homework tasks, to consolidate learning and to encourage between-session practice.

Additional resources include module summaries, worksheets, behaviour graphs, emails, podcasts, optional text message reminders and a workbook. The workbook is an individualised summary of the content presented in the videos and contains parent responses to activities. This workbook can also be emailed or printed. Automatic email reminders are sent to parents to encourage programme completion. Families can be offered motivational/prompting or clinical support by practitioners, typically done via telephone.

Fidelity

The intervention is self-directed, therefore there is no fidelity measure.

Modifiable Components

The content and order of the Triple P Online Programme is not modifiable. Practitioners can offer additional support to parents working through the programme, they should be accredited in a Triple P intervention.

Triple P – Positive Parenting Program® was developed in Queensland, Australia. Training and implementation are now available across 29 countries. Within the United Kingdom training and implementation support can be accessed from Triple P UK.

Support for Organisation / Practice

Implementation Support

Parents who undertake this intervention need to have a computer and broadband access, motivation to work through a self-directed programme and a preference to complete the programme in their own home at their own pace. Parents must have sufficient levels of literacy and computer skills to work through the programme themselves.

Agencies can purchase Triple P Online access codes and distribute them to parents. Or parents can buy access directly from Triple P. If organisations want to buy 100 codes for families to access the programme, there are support packages which can be accessed from Triple P. This includes an online management system, implementation support and communications resources. Triple P UK has structured implementation supports available to all sites implementing a Triple P programme. All implementation supports are flexible and tailored to the site’s requirements and are available for all programmes in the Triple P system. Triple P have developed a framework for implementation, it has 5 phases and are all described in detail in the Triple P Implementation Framework (TPIF). Triple P UK also has Implementation Consultants (IC) available to support new sites work through the phases of implementation. Additional implementation support options are available from Triple P UK.

Licence Requirements

No licence is required

Start-up Costs

Triple P UK provide costs on request.

Building Staff Competency

Qualifications Required

Triple P Online is self-directed but if practitioner support is offered Triple P UK recommend that practitioners have a post-high school qualification in health, education, early childhood education, or social services. However, para-professionals who actively work with families may also be suitable for training.

Training Requirements

The intervention is self-directed but if practitioner support is offered Triple P UK recommend that practitioners are trained in a Triple P intervention. Triple P UK can also provide training and workshop options for practitioners supporting parents in Triple P Online.

Supervision Requirements

No supervision requirements.

Theory of Change

The Triple P system aims to enhance family protective factors and reduce risk factors associated with severe behavioural and emotional problems later in childhood. Triple P interventions are based on social learning, cognitive behavioural and developmental theory.

Values

Triple P interventions support parents of children who have, or are at risk of developing, behaviour problems. The interventions aim to promote positive caring relationships between parents and their children and to help parents develop effective management strategies for dealing with behaviour and emotions problems. 

Triple P takes a minimal sufficiency approach, offering families just the amount of support parents require to resolve a problem and enable parents to be confident, competent and independent in their parenting. It also takes a self-regulatory approach that encourages practitioners, parents and children to promote independent problem solving.

• Is working with families to promote a positive caring relationship with their child match with your service values?
• Does taking a minimal sufficiency approach to offering support align with your service values?

Priorities

Triple P Online is a self-directed intervention aimed at preventing and reducing child behaviour problems through positive parenting practices. It is an indicated prevention / early intervention programme for parents of children up to 12 years old and is accessed online. It can benefit parents of children who have issues with accessing services (e.g. distance, timing, child care), live in geographically isolated areas or are in places where services have long waiting lists.

• Does this fit with the priorities of your service?

Existing Initiatives

• Does your service already provide self-directed, online early intervention programmes aiming to improve child behaviour and promote positive relationships?
• Does your service have practitioners trained in other Triple P interventions who could support families to engage in the Triple P Online programme?

Workforce

No practitioners are required to deliver the intervention; however, practitioner time may be required to engage families in the intervention and support families through the intervention. Triple P UK recommend that practitioner support can be given through telephone support, they estimate that families will require one hour of telephone support (up to four 15-minute telephone calls) while completing the online programme.  

• Do you have appropriate practitioners available to deliver the intervention?

Technology Support

For the organisation providing the TPOL codes to families, access to a computer with internet access is required. Ideally, parents accessing the intervention require a devise capable of connecting to the internet, however, Triple P UK do have an offline option for providing parents with access to the programme. 

• Do you have the appropriate technology required to implement the intervention?

Administrative Support

Administrative support is required to collect any evaluation data and feedback, manage referrals and code allocation.

• Do you have enough administrative capacity and systems to meet these administrative needs?

Financial Support

Costs can be provided directly from Triple P UK.

• Do you have the finances available to support the training and implementation of this programme?

Comparable Population 

Triple P Online is aimed at parents of children up to 12 years old with moderate / severe behavioural problems and parents who would like to promote their child’s development.

The highest level of research looked at the effectiveness of Triple P Online with families who were predominantly of white European descent, were in a marriage or living with a partner. In most studies, over half of parents had a university degree and were employed.

• Is this comparable to the population you serve?

Desired Outcome

The aim of the intervention is to prevent the development of problem behaviour and severe impairment. TPOL has been found to be effective in reducing child problem behaviours, child emotional problems, parents’ use of dysfunctional parenting practices, parental stress, conflict between parents, parents’ anger responses and increased parental confidence in parenting.  

• Is reducing child behaviour problems and supporting parents to develop effective management strategies for dealing with behaviour and emotions problems a priority for your service?