Research and analysis

Reducing Parental Conflict Challenge Fund: final learning report, March 2025

Published 12 June 2025

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Acknowledgements

The Challenge Fund programme management team would like to thank all those who have contributed to the development, delivery and learning from this programme, particularly representatives from the Department for Work and Pensions, and all the grant recipients for their thoughtful reflections on their experiences.

Thanks go to Angela Swan, Malcom Dawson and Stephen Green at Ecorys.

This report was authored by Sarah Corrigan, Lucy Newman, Gavin Askew and Kate Smith at Ecorys, with reflections from Pamela Park, and Nissa Ramsay at Think Social Tech.

Summary

In 2023 the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) launched the second round of the Reducing Parental Conflict (RPC) Challenge Fund. Forming part of the wider RPC programme, the Challenge Fund provided ‘test and learn’ funding to develop new approaches, products and resources to address unresolved parental conflict, and thus improve outcomes for children living in families where conflict is present. Ecorys administered the fund on behalf of DWP and developed a reporting process to gather learning from funded initiatives across the lifetime of the funding. This report presents an overview of that learning.

Challenge Fund 2 aimed to build on learning from the first round of Challenge Fund activity (delivered in 2019 to 2020) and to fill evidence gaps in two strands of delivery: universal digital support mechanisms for families (Digital Support) and support for a diverse range of families who may have additional stressors for conflict (Supporting Diverse Families (SDF)). Eight initiatives were funded, each with specific aims and target groups.

The funded initiatives included:

• Coram’s “Family Harmony” initiative, which provided relational therapy solutions to families facing adversity
• Herefordshire Vennture’s “Vennture Thriving Families” initiative, which focused on reducing and preventing parental conflict in rural populations
• Intercom Trust’s “Family Pride South West” initiative, which aimed to reduce and prevent parental conflict within LGBT+ families
• The Write Time’s “Take Charge of Your Life” programme, which supported parents of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
• Youth Engagement Solutions’ “Positive Parents, Positive Kids” initiative, which tested Motivational Interviewing techniques with parents, and attempted to engage with young parents in particular
• Race Equality Foundation’s initiative to address parental conflict effectively with Black, Asian, and minority ethnic families
• OnePlusOne’s “Separating Better” app, which supported separating parents in managing the separation process
• Relate’s “We Can Relate” initiative, which developed a toolkit of self-help tools and service delivery focused on reducing parental conflict through digital mechanisms

Several key findings can be drawn from the implementation of these initiatives.

In terms of initiative development and implementation, securing the right staffing was vital for successful delivery. Initiatives noted the importance of developing staff teams with relevant prior experience and personal attributes. However, recruiting appropriate staff posed challenges for some initiatives, leading to delays in project setup. Furthermore, some projects noted a higher staff attrition rate due to the time-limited funding. However, initiatives widely noted that taking part in the programme enabled their organisations to build staff capacity, with new skills and learning retained across wider teams after the end of the funding period.

The ease of developing RPC products varied for the different initiatives. Some SDF initiatives had existing products or approaches that could be adapted to include conflict-related content, while others had to develop their offer from scratch, having an impact on lead-in time. For the digital initiatives, creating apps and chat bots presented some challenges, including ensuring user safety and data security. Having strong working relationships with their app development agencies was vital to allow for agile and effective working.

Engaging the right families in delivery was a key focus for all interventions. Most initiatives met their targets for engagement, although there were some challenges in recruiting specific target groups such as young parents. Initiatives reflected on ‘what worked’ for engagement:

• developing strong referral pathways was vital, and partners such as Local Authority Early Help teams, schools and other voluntary, community and faith organisations played a key role in identifying families in need of support
  • targeting community-specific groups and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSE) proved to be a rich source of referrals for engaging specific target groups
  • some initiatives also used mechanisms such as coffee mornings or community events to generate self-referrals
• initiatives found that distinguishing parental conflict from domestic abuse was crucial to success. They successfully implemented screening mechanisms, signposting and referrals for appropriate support, especially for digital programmes where parents accessed resources independently
• initiatives adapted delivery to meet parents’ needs, offering online/in-person sessions, weekend options, facilities for childcare and food preparation and multilingual support for ethnic minorities
• initiatives emphasised the importance of establishing trusting relationships with families, particularly where they were wary of support due to past negative experiences
• the use of nonjudgmental language about relationship conflict was also critical to encouraging parents to participate. Initiatives used positive framing such as ‘thriving’, ‘harmony’, and ‘healthy’ and avoided negative words such as ‘conflict’ in communications with families. Conversely, more impactful language was useful for engaging professionals

Some barriers to engagement were also noted, including misunderstanding of services, practical issues such as the timing of sessions and childcare needs, and stigma related to conflict. Initiatives used various strategies to overcome these barriers, such as offering sessions in different languages, providing childcare, and using creative activities.

Initiatives held varied opinions on the success of referrals to wider services, with concerns raised about gaps in support for issues like domestic abuse and mental health, which were exacerbated for black and minority ethic (BAME) families and young parents who faced barriers due to mistrust of services. Initiatives highlighted the importance of building trust with families to facilitate these referrals and the need for more accessible options.

Initiatives have demonstrated measurable outcomes for families through comprehensive assessment methods, including pre- and post-intervention assessments. Initiatives also generated positive outcomes for professionals. The findings underscore significant benefits garnered in improved family dynamics and practitioner competence, as evidenced by the following key outcomes:

• many families reported reduced conflict and improved communication, leading to lower exposure to conflict for children and heightened parental well-being
  • one initiative even highlighted the transformative outcomes for children’s sense of self-worth and belonging
• initiatives emphasised their impact on emotional regulation, with participants learning to manage their reactions, leading to calmer and more constructive interactions with ex-partners
• parents from several initiatives reported their access to a nexus of support had increased, gaining access to further resources on understanding of conflict management and a range of other available support options
• many parents fostered meaningful connections through group sessions, reducing feelings of isolation and fostering lasting support systems for shared parenting challenges
• a number of initiatives delivered training to practitioners to aid them in spotting early signs of parental conflict; this enhanced their ability to support affected children and engage with parents
• initiatives also empowered practitioners through training on a range of techniques to enhance their ability to support families dealing with parental conflict – including supporting families with diverse needs. In one example, 80% of practitioners felt better equipped to address family conflict, while 87% gained a deeper understanding of its effects on children

The upskilling and capacity-building generated both within funded organisations and across the wider sector will ensure that families will be able to access support related to conflict beyond the lifetime of the Challenge Fund. However, while initiatives had identified clear need and demand for their interventions, most had struggled to secure new funding to sustain their activities beyond the Challenge Fund, although for some, conversations with local authorities about funding are ongoing. Nonetheless, the Challenge Fund has provided valuable insights for future programmes and underscores the need for continued investment in RPC-related support.

1. Introduction to the Challenge Fund

Ecorys was commissioned to administer the second round of the RPC Challenge Fund on behalf of DWP in 2023. This report presents learning from delivery, based on information generated by the organisations in receipt of the Challenge Fund grants.

1.1 About the Challenge Fund

DWP launched the first phase of the RPC programme in 2018 in response to analysis carried out by the Department using the Parental Conflict Indicator, along with other evidence and research. The resulting data highlighted that 12% of children were living with at least one parent reporting relationship distress. The data also showed that parental conflict is twice as likely in workless couple-parent families compared to where both parents are working. ^{[footnote 1]} The aim of the Reducing Parental Conflict Programme is to reduce conflict and improve outcomes for children, for example by providing funding to local authorities to implement a range of approaches to address conflict.

The RPC Challenge Fund is part of the wider RPC programme. The first round of the Challenge Fund was launched in 2018, with the aim of developing new ways to engage families facing different types of disadvantage, in interventions delivered either face to face or digitally. In 2022, a second round of funding was launched. The aim of Challenge Fund 2 was to develop approaches, products or resources which can be utilised by local areas to support a greater number of families at risk of parental conflict, including through digital support offers. Challenge Fund 2 built on evidence and learnings from Phase 1 of the Reducing Parental Conflict Programme (including the first Challenge Fund) and to help fill evidence gaps in the following two strands: Universal Digital Support for Families (Digital Support) and Support for a diverse range of families who may have additional stressors for conflict (Supporting Diverse Families (SDF)).

1.2 About the projects

Over £2.8 million was granted to eight successful organisations to deliver their projects from June 2023 until November 2024. Table 1 provides an overview of each initiative’s aims.

Table 1: Challenge Fund 2 funded initiatives

Awarded organisation	Initiative title	Type of initiative	Summary of provision
Coram (Thomas Coram Foundation for Children)	‘Family Harmony’ Relational therapy solutions with families facing adversity	SDF	The Creative Parenting Services team at Coram aimed to combine practice to offer a new programme to couples under 30 at risk of family conflict. Coram’s three tier offer sought to provide Child and Family Interventions, evaluation and analysis with insight into what works for disadvantaged families to pre-empt and reduce conflict, and training and dissemination of materials and tools for use as self-help or facilitated interventions. This initiative focused on disadvantaged families with stressors in the Camden and Lambeth areas of London.
Herefordshire Vennture	‘Vennture Thriving Families’ – Small Schools Collaboration - Reducing and Preventing Parental Conflict in Rural populations	SDF	The initiative focused on rural families in the Herefordshire area. Working with schools, Herefordshire Vennture aimed to develop a model to address parental conflict in dispersed, rural populations. The aim of the project was to reduce parental conflict in engaged families across rural Herefordshire, create a legacy of awareness and capability related to parental conflict across 24 rural schools, and produce a model to better address parental conflict across rural communities utilising safely recruited, rigorously trained and carefully supervised volunteers.
Intercom Trust	Family Pride South West	SDF	Intercom’s initiative sought to take a multi-layered approach to reducing and preventing parental conflict within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, plus other identities (LGBT+) families. Intercom developed and provided a combination of individual, couple, group, and social support to parents, children, and families to engage with and address individual circumstance. The initiative sought to contribute to the evidence base on RPC amongst marginalised groups, develop and publish materials specifically adapted to improve relevant well-being and interpersonal skills within LGBT+ families, as well as providing a legacy of practitioner competence in the Southwest England region.
The Write Time	Take Charge of Your Life (‘Take Charge’)	SDF	‘Take Charge’ is a 6-week programme for parents of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to develop their relationships and prevent/ mitigate family breakdown. Through robust assessment and evaluation, the aim of the initiative was to demonstrate a viable model which could be implemented nationwide. Participants were referred from partners located in South London, including SEN teams.
Youth Engagement Solutions (YES)	Positive Parents, Positive Kids	SDF	Youth Engagement Solutions (YES) managed a community partnership approach that provided a range of proactive and responsive interventions to young parents/carers, aiming to provide them with the skills, mindsets, and support to prevent and manage parental conflict. This initiative aimed to utilise a Motivational Interviewing model, targeting young parents/carers (or prospective parents) from minority ethnic groups aged 18-25. The service was also open to anyone with a background of offending. The reach included several locations across the London area.
Race Equality Foundation (REF)	Addressing parental conflict effectively with Black, Asian and minority ethnic families	SDF (with some online provision)	Race Equality Foundation sought to deliver support to Black, Asian and minority ethnic parents across England who were experiencing parental conflict, via two interventions based on learning from the evidence-based Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities Programme (SFSC). These included an online intervention delivered over six individual sessions, with weekly facilitated online group discussion looking at parental conflict and its impact on children; and an in-person group intervention where RPC information/strategies were integrated into an evidenced-based parenting programme. In January 2024, REF was awarded additional funds to engage with 36 more parents from African and Caribbean backgrounds, and to provide a group specifically for Somali parents, with delivery in community languages.
OnePlusOne (OPO)	Separating Better app	Digital	OnePlusOne, in partnership with National Family Mediation, aimed to co-design and produce a new app for separating parents to self-manage the separation process, thereby reducing pressure on the family court system. The app sought to provide practical and emotional support, serving as a single authoritative resource for navigating separation in the best interests of the children involved. The app also provided support and advice with practical aspects of separation, such as childcare arrangements, financial arrangements, legal agreements and child support. Parents were able to track the practical steps they took with tools to guide them through budgeting and legal arrangements to making a parenting plan.
Relate	We Can Relate	Digital	Relate aimed to develop a toolkit of appropriate self-help tools and service delivery focused on reducing parental conflict, delivered through digital mechanisms, utilising Artificial Intelligence (AI) and creating a chatbot integrated into Relate’s website. The initiative also aimed to create a ‘menu’ of services for parents that took into account their individual circumstances, with a focus on parents who were experiencing/have experienced separation. A national database for professionals was also created to allow signposting of parents towards RPC tools.

1.3 Gathering learning from the Challenge Fund

Ecorys and partners were commissioned to support the management of both phases of the Challenge Fund. The ‘test and learn’ nature of the Fund has meant that gathering learning has been a key feature of the programme throughout. This process began at the launch of Challenge Fund 2; grant recipients were supported to complete a theory of change for their interventions to focus attention on intended outcomes and impacts, and the processes required to achieve them. They also developed a plan to determine how evidence for their planned outcomes and impacts could be gathered. Throughout delivery, projects completed a quarterly learning report alongside their grant monitoring; these reports aimed to gather reflections on progress and challenges in engagement and delivery. These reports were reviewed by members of Ecorys’ policy and research team and expert partners and were assimilated into quarterly learning reports for DWP. 

The process of compiling this final learning report followed a similar pattern. Initiatives completed a proforma with their reflections on engagement, delivery, sustainability and areas for future development. They were asked to tie learning back to their initial theories of change and illustrate challenges and facilitators. Each of these intervention-level reports were reviewed by Ecorys and partners, and findings synthesised into this report. Where feasible, initiative evaluations were also consulted and learning fed in accordingly.

2. Implementing Challenge Fund projects

The Challenge Fund required funded initiatives to develop their own approaches and resources to support families experiencing parental conflict. In a small number of cases, SDF initiatives were able to implement products that had already been developed, while others had to either build on and adapt materials and approaches from other sources or indeed develop new materials and products from scratch. For the most part, initiatives also needed to recruit new staff to provide face to face support in the case of SDF initiatives, and for the digital initiatives, engage and build relationships with digital development agencies to support the design and build of online applications. Furthermore, some initiatives had to develop their internal infrastructure – for example, around monitoring systems and processes to accommodate the programme. This chapter will explore the processes used by initiatives to develop their offers for families, and any challenges and facilitators experienced.

2.1 Staffing and governance

Securing the right staffing for Challenge Fund initiatives was acknowledged by most initiatives as being vital to the successful delivery of the programme. Several initiatives flagged that where staff had relevant prior experience of fields such as family law and domestic abuse, they were able to provide expertise, signpost appropriately and strengthen teams. REF, for example,  flagged that a mix of staff attributes such as communication, strong local networks and facilitation skills had been valuable for delivery, enabling information to be shared and groups to be delivered easily. REF also recruited delivery staff with lived experience of parental conflict to support their work.

Recruiting appropriate staff posed a challenge for several initiatives. For example, Herefordshire Vennture faced difficulties finding staff with the motivation and resilience to work in such a challenging arena. For this initiative, it took 4-5 months to get staff in post, though they expressed that the delays were worth it to have the right skills in place.

Towards the end of the initiative, Relate entered administration which led to Relate losing key staff including the project lead, communications and marketing staff. In this case, other staff who had been involved in the project over the long term supported delivery, and local authorities who were already engaged helped with promotion of the initiative, but the timing was particularly unfortunate as the chatbot was building momentum.

While most initiatives focused on recruiting for frontline delivery posts, REF noted that their primary staffing challenge related to recruitment of administrative support, particularly as they required a skills mix of data collection and project management. As with those recruiting to delivery posts, the delays associated with this meant some difficulties during the setup of the project.

Retaining staff also posed some challenges, with Coram experiencing the loss of staff before the end of the programme, related to nervousness over time-limited funding and staff needing to find other work. In this case, solutions included the use of associates to support delivery and increasing existing staff hours.

However, initiatives widely noted that taking part in the programme had enabled their organisations to upskill staff teams, with new skills and learning retained across wider teams after the funding period.

In terms of governance structures, OnePlusOne created an advisory board for their app, made up of experts from family law, academia, user experience (UX), marketing and the charity sector. OnePlusOne highlighted that it is vital to identify where there isn’t expertise in a team, and to work with experts who are able to provide support and guidance (for example, around challenging topics such as domestic abuse).

For the digital initiatives, good relationships with the digital agencies supporting the app builds were absolutely essential, particularly given the time limitations of the Challenge Fund, the need to work iteratively and be responsive to user testing, and the need to generate enough data after the app launch to provide adequate learning. Relate noted that collaborating with a digital agency generated significant learning on both sides of the relationship, with their agency (IE Digital) being open to developing tools to honour Relate’s clinical and therapeutic approach to support.

2.2 Developing RPC products

2.2.1 SDF products

For most of the SDF initiatives, the lead-in time to develop products, establish delivery teams and set up monitoring systems was around three months. Other tasks in the set-up phase included developing referral partnerships, researching the needs of target groups, and tailoring content accordingly. Across the six initiatives, delivery variously included group therapeutic interventions, individual mentoring, courses, and group activities, amongst others. At Coram, the Family Harmony initiative was designed to provide relational therapy to adults and children together and separately using arts and music as the primary delivery mechanism, with the aim of promoting and encouraging family bonding alongside other families in group sessions, while at YES, Motivational Interviewing techniques formed the basis of an approach which aimed to allow parents to reflect, build confidence and make lasting changes in their behaviour.

At Herefordshire Vennture, support for families took the form of intensive mentoring. However, it became clear during the course of delivery that the initiative would require different approaches for separated and intact families. Early delivery indicated they needed to focus on building trust, developing parental resilience, and bringing the child’s perspective into the conversation. Seeking advice from experts (such as “pathfinder” schools who supported the development of the Herefordshire Vennture approach, along with Garrison Welfare and Chaplaincy teams) helped to refine content for specific target audiences.

Intercom aimed to deliver a package of support to LGBT+ families including social events, mediation support and group work.  The initiative highlighted that building on links with the local authority and organisations who had produced materials for the wider RPC programme gave them a basis for the development of their own materials and sessions. The initiative developed a resource booklet for the parents of LGBT+ young people; while this was not planned at the outset of the initiative, it became clear during delivery that this would be a useful tool for families that could also be used beyond the Challenge Fund funding period.

Where building on existing products and models, adaptations were made to ensure the focus was on parental conflict rather than more general family support. For example, The Write Time adjusted their Take Charge programme, particularly in relation to language and wording, and to ensure accessibility for groups of parents including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).  Similarly, REF adapted their established Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities (SFSC) parenting programme to include RPC content.

2.2.2 Digital products

Two digital initiatives were funded through the Challenge Fund, and both produced apps to support families; OnePlusOne focused specifically on separating families and Relate provided services for both intact and separated families. Their We Can Relate offer included facilities to help parents better understand their child’s perspective of parental conflict, tools to support communication between parents, and a directory to help parents find local support services. 

At OnePlusOne, the Separating Better app content was grounded in behaviour change and relational capability theory, with the design based on three literature reviews of parents’ and children’s experiences of divorce and separation, and cocreation sessions with parents from the target audience. In response, the Separating Better app offers practical tools to help separated parents communicate better. These included a collaborative parenting plan, a budget planner, and advice and guidance articles and videos (Work it Out – designed to provide insights to destructive conflict and then modelling a more positive resolution). The app was also designed to provide emotional support. A pilot roll-out proved to be an important factor in the development of the offer, with adjustments and improvements made to the app following feedback gathered across the two pilot local authorities.

Consideration was needed on how to deliver RPC materials in a self-guided manner, while ensuring the safety of users. This was particularly evident in the provision of both initiatives’ AI chatbots. As noted elsewhere in the report, parents provided positive feedback about their interactions with the chatbots, but there were challenges associated with their implementation. For example, Relate experienced delays to the platform utilised for the chatbot, with the first iteration not aligning with necessary GDPR requirements. Both initiatives gave significant consideration to implications relating to data collection, ethics, and safeguarding. It was particularly important that app users were clear that they were not interacting with a human while using the chat function, and that users were safeguarded. At Relate, initial plans were that the chat function would be overseen and monitored by the staff team. However, this proved to be too resource-intensive; instead Relate built functionality into the chatbot platform to flag issues such as domestic abuse, suicide or self-harm, triggering information about 24/7 support services being provided to the user in real time.  

Importantly, both OnePlusOne and Relate worked with developers to “train” their AI chatbots to provide a therapeutic response, in line with their organisational ethos and approaches.

2.3 Working with other RPC / CF initiatives

Throughout the Challenge Fund there were numerous examples of initiatives working together to develop knowledge and share learning. For example, Intercom worked closely with Relate and REF to share experiences and knowledge around supporting marginalised groups. Relate and OnePlusOne also liaised to share learning on their experiences of developing digital interventions, while OnePlusOne provided advice to REF on the impact of emotional readiness in separation. Similarly, REF supported OnePlusOne with app testing and other activities, including providing copy for the website. Relate visited Herefordshire Vennture and delivered training to staff on reducing parental conflict and differentiating between conflict and abuse.

There were also several examples of initiatives creating links with local leads from the wider RPC programme, particularly supported by the RPC Leads. ^{[footnote 2]} The Write Time, Intercom and REF presented at regional community of practice meetings for RPC leads, and YES described how the RPC Leads had provided valuable guidance and support, connecting the intervention with key practitioners and external stakeholders. This had enabled YES to expand the reach of their intervention.  

3. Engaging and supporting families

The Challenge Fund interventions were developed to test delivery of parental conflict-related support with a range of target groups and in different settings, for example with LGBT+ families, military families, families in rural settings, young parents and parents from ethnic minorities.

Initiatives have largely met their targets for engagement. This has been enabled by professional referral agencies, social media and word of mouth successfully reaching the right families. In some cases, while there have been good levels of engagement, this has sometimes been with families outside of the original target group, due to referrals being made based on family need rather than strictly adhering to the initiative’s target families.

To support engagement, programmes have used specific terminology and operated in a non-judgemental way to positively frame their initiative, such as removing ‘conflict’ from promotional materials and getting to know participants before introducing suitable training or solutions. Programmes have tailored delivery to fit the needs of parents, by offering both online and in-person sessions; weekend and after-school sessions to aid fathers participation; creative and music therapies for those of different languages (38% of Coram parents stated English was an additional language), as well as working with external practitioners to deliver support in community languages.

Key barriers to engagement included a misunderstanding of services and/or their target demographic from referral agencies; practical issues such as family commitments, changing schedules and housing situations. More specifically, Intercom identified specific barriers for their LGBT+ parents, including the gender of their delivery staff, and stigma around seeking support- Intercom noted that LGBT+ parents often face increased pressure to appear as ‘perfect parents’ to prove to others that they ‘deserve’ to be parents.

3.1 Target groups

During delivery, initiatives made significant progress in securing engagement from a wide range of families.

Herefordshire Vennture exceeded its engagement targets, with 76% of referrals coming from schools. While the overall numbers for their mentoring programme proved lower than anticipated, the proportion of military and special educational needs (SEN) families exceeded expectations, indicating a strong impact in these areas. This success is attributed to schools emphasising the parenting aspect of the programme, making it easier to engage parents based on their children’s behaviour.

– Image of Herefordshire Vennture’s engagement

All families engaged by Intercom fell within the LGBT+ target group. Out of 65 families assessed for support and mediation, 40 completed the process, 7 were found unsuitable, and 18 began support but did not continue. In cases where individuals disengaged from Intercom’s support, reasons included feeling unprepared to accept assistance, relocating, or experiencing organic improvements in their situations.

OnePlusOne engaged families at various stages of their separation; however, the majority had been separated for several years. They used a variety of advertising platforms, targeting separated parents. Most parents were referred from a professional (such as National Family Mediation)  (46%), 13% came through social media, 18% through word of mouth, and 7% through internet search.

Coram initially set out to engage under 30s, however in reality most of their referrals were for parents older than 30. This may in part have been due to referrers working based on family need rather than strictly adhering to target audience.

REF successfully engaged a wide range of people in parenting roles, including extended families, foster carers, stepparents etc. They secured engagement from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic parents and carers, both living together and living apart – which was their target group. They secured 776 registrations for online courses and 133 for in-person courses.

Relate reported impressive digital engagement, with 3,217 visits to their main landing page and significant interactions with various support bots, including 1,133 visits to the Relate Bot and 577 to the Sounding Board Bot.

The Write Time’s Take Charge programme successfully saw 154 people complete the initiative, while the YES had 62 completed participants with 109 engaging in total. 4 participants were under 18, 29 were 18-25 years old and 76 were over 25. The majority identified as Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME).

Some projects engaged and supported practitioners, including therapists, teachers, mental health and social work professionals. Herefordshire Vennture’s approach to engaging and refining content for staff was developed in partnership with 2 of their pathfinding schools.  Herefordshire Vennture delivered 20+ in-school events, the main outcome of these events was raising awareness amongst staff. 37 schools engaged with the project out of the 43 schools met (86%). 28 went on to engage with staff meetings raising their awareness of parental conflict.  Training offered to teachers and teaching assistants (TAs) raised awareness of the influence of parental conflict on classroom behaviour and to educate practitioners on spotting the signs.

I will be more aware of the child/ parents’ interactions at the beginning and end of the day

  – Herefordshire Vennture TA

I am going away to reflect on my own practices with a greater understanding of parent and child needs – thank you.

– Herefordshire Vennture TA

Coram also reflected on how they had built bonds with parallel initiatives; they successfully booked online training on their toolkit with practitioners from 19 local authorities and 12 organisations, including the NHS, schools, universities and therapy services.

3.1.2 Facilitators for engagement

Programmes have tailored their delivery to fit the needs of parents which has supported engagement, including both online and in-person sessions; weekend and after-school sessions; and in different languages for ethnic minority groups.

Use of social media: Views on the utility of social media for engagement were mixed. REF experienced challenges converting social media engagement into actual participation in projects. By contrast, Relate, a digital initiative, found success in utilising the Meta advertising platform, with engagement numbers doubling within a week of launching advertisements.

In terms of online communications, Coram found it helpful to clarify which elements of their programme were funded. They observed that framing their initiative positively under the banner of ‘Family Harmony’ aided in addressing underlying conflicts without stigmatising participants.  REF facilitators frequently used terms like “healthy communication,” “healthy families,” and “healthy lifestyles” to describe the goals of the initiative. They also took time to explain the key concepts such as “power and control dynamics” and “thoughts-feelings-behaviour cycles,” using simple language and images and linked to participants’ lived experiences to make them relatable. Herefordshire Vennture had a similar experience, as they branded their initiative ‘Thriving Families,’ avoiding terms like ‘parental conflict’ in direct communications with families. However, using more impactful language, such as ‘conflict,’ proved beneficial for training professionals, helping them appreciate the training’s significance and its potential positive impact on children.

Tailoring the offer: Participants in YES praised the programme for its non-judgmental and tailored approach. Many noted the value of the creche for facilitating their engagement, a sentiment reflected by REF. They also found that providing food, transport, and a blend of online and in-person sessions enhanced participation. One YES participant remarked, “I never felt comfortable going to mainstream services, but this program felt like it was made for people like me.” YES also allowed participants to complete a ‘fast-track’ version of the course if the traditional format felt too long.  

A few initiatives needed to adapt their engagement style, depending on the audience and setting. The Write Time adapted its offerings based on participant feedback, recognising the need to tailor solutions to the unique subgroups within the SEND community. REF created a ‘Say it Your Own Way for Stronger Relationships’ form for children to express their feelings about important people in their lives, as well as their wishes for the future, which aided in incorporating children’s perspectives into the programme.

Engaging specific populations: Efforts to provide external practitioners who spoke community languages fostered meaningful dialogues, which is essential for effective relationship and parenting coaching. This approach was reinforced by Coram’s evaluation of Family Harmony, where facilitators helped participants overcome language barriers through arts and cultural activities. As one participant noted, “I think it (the programme) will attract people from different cultures because art and music have no language barriers.” 

REF achieved a notable gender balance, with a 75:25 split of female to male participants, credited to their intentional targeting of fathers and the use of male facilitators. They facilitated closed groups to lessen feelings of judgment among participants. Coram’s evaluation of Family Harmony explored perceptions regarding male attendance, revealing that weekend or after-school sessions were preferable when children were of an appropriate age.

Facilitating digital engagement: OnePlusOne received positive feedback from parents regarding the app’s design, layout, and user-friendly digital tools, with the convenience of accessing it from a phone being a crucial aspect. Some participants suggested that engaging with the app earlier in the separation process might be beneficial.

3.1.3 Barriers to engagement 

During delivery, there was a misunderstanding of the target demographic and the initiative among referral agencies, as well as practical issues such as family commitments and changing schedules. This could often prevent successful engagement with the initiatives, both online and face-to-face.  

Various events and support services were implemented to enhance family engagement. Although Herefordshire Vennture launched a family helpline that gained some traction, they found that local assessments often deemed families in need as requiring Early Help referrals. Additionally, misunderstandings arose in non-engaged schools regarding the helpline’s role, with assumptions that it provided legal advice. To address this, during the later stages of delivery, the organisation refined the helpline’s purpose, choosing to share it only with engaged schools to facilitate more effective referrals. 

Intercom identified that gender could be a barrier for couples seeking counselling, as some individuals were reluctant to work with a male counsellor. Location also presented challenges for clients. Intercom observed that most parents seeking support were parents of LGBT+ children rather than identifying as LGBT+ themselves. They suggested that LGBT+ parents might hesitate to seek help due to societal pressures to appear as ‘perfect parents’, indicating that there is some additional stigma preventing LGBT+ parents seeking support, and more research is needed to determine if LGBT+ families engage differently. 

REF discovered that home distractions impeded the delivery of online sessions. While the flexibility of online services was beneficial, factors such as changing schedules, health issues, and housing situations created inevitable disruptions that affected attendance. 

Coram made significant strides in building positive relationships with referral sources, primarily professionals such as teachers. While these referrals often stem from an awareness of the programme’s focus on engaging parents under 30, the tendency has been to direct the most in-need families rather than those specifically within the target demographic. This has led to some misunderstandings about the programme’s intent, emphasising the necessity for clear communication regarding the programme’s focus.  

YES also reflected on the necessity of building positive, trusting relationships with participants. They noted the need to be sensitive to participant’s histories and prior involvement with social services – this was particularly prevalent with care leavers who often had deep-rooted mistrust of institutional support and faced barriers like emotional trauma or housing instability. A key learning was to provide ongoing support and build trust over time.  

Many initiatives faced difficulties coordinating the number of group sessions around school term dates, inset days, and various events. Coram reflected that this challenge was made worse by referrers not informing families about session dates and times, creating a cycle where scheduling space and therapists’ time became impossible without prior family commitment to the sessions.

3.2 Building referral mechanisms 

Partnerships have proven vital in creating effective referral pathways and tailoring programs to meet the unique needs of targeted populations, including neurodiverse families, young parents under 25, and families from minority communities.  

Referrals: Several initiatives emphasised how important it was to build relationships face-to-face with referring partners. Coram implemented various techniques to engage parents, finding that leveraging their existing positive relationships with referral partners yielded the best results. They observed that emails and flyers often fell flat without these trusted connections. Intercom echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the necessity of nurturing existing relationships to foster engagement; they collaborated with local organisations serving LGBT+ communities and created additional links with other Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise organisations (VCSEs). 

Participation in LA events, such as RPC Family Hub sessions, allowed organisations like Coram and Intercom to increase visibility and interact directly with families. At these events Coram received requests for training. Intercom played a role in supporting the development of the Family Hub offer in Devon; this connection allowed them both to spread the word about the initiative and shape the offer with LGBT+ parents in mind. For Intercom, their visibility within Family Hubs meant that most of their referrals were self-referrals, which set it apart from other SDF initiatives. The Write Time established strong connections with local authority practitioners by hosting weekly coffee mornings. This initiative allowed practitioners to witness firsthand the support being provided to families, resulting in an increase in LA referrals. 

On a similar note, Herefordshire Vennture established strong connections with local schools by offering training on RPC to school staff, along with participation in more than 20 school events to support awareness raising. This approach was first tested in detail with two pathfinder schools, leading to a successful roll out of training to 238 school staff across the area. This face-to-face relationship-building meant that Herefordshire Vennture were able to embed learning about RPC in the wider school landscape and also promote the initiative and share information about referrals into the service. Furthermore, more than 80% of the 238 practitioners who participated in training were also parents. Feedback on the sessions highlighted that not only were practitioners better equipped to refer into Herefordshire Vennture, but they were also more aware of how to address conflict in their own relationships. Despite their success in schools, Herefordshire Vennture were unable to reach the same level via their Local Authority but remains committed to forging strategic ties in the future. They plan to integrate their initiatives with a newly secured Early Help contract, aiming to align their work with broader family support services while reducing the stigma associated with seeking assistance.  

REF engaged with faith groups, schools, and community organisations to reach specific minority groups, working alongside organisations such as Black SEN Mamas to support engagement. This partnership working approach has facilitated successful engagement with ethnic minority parents, an area in which previous Challenge Fund initiatives have struggled.

Learning from partners: YES have utilised partnerships to deepen their understanding of specific groups, such as young parents under 25. However, though learning was cemented, the initiative found it challenging to recruit the target group, meaning numbers of young parents engaged were lower than planned. By collaborating with partners, YES gained insights into the challenges faced by this demographic, which informed the tailoring of their initiatives, particularly as more young people engaged in the second half of delivery. The Write Time utilised WhatsApp groups for parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), effectively reaching parents who seek support within their communities. The Write Time found that by virtue of providing SEND support, LA practitioners were naturally invested. To bolster this, they offered their weekly coffee mornings as a drop-in event, allowing practitioners to see firsthand their work. Their initiative felt this was influential in creating a high number of LA referrals. Herefordshire Vennture also drew learning from referring partners, for example schools focusing on the potential impact of the programme on classroom behaviour, while Garrisons emphasised family well-being and resilience related to soldier welfare.

3.3. Differentiating between parental conflict and domestic abuse   

The Challenge Fund, as with the wider Reducing Parental Conflict programme, is designed to support families who are experiencing conflict in their relationships that is frequent, intense and poorly resolved. Parental conflict is distinct from domestic abuse , which is indicated by controlling behaviours and/or where one parent may feel fearful of the other. Approaches to reduce parental conflict are not appropriate where domestic abuse is present. As a result, it was important that interventions developed mechanisms for ensuring that referrals were appropriate and relevant, and that families were screened accordingly to enable them to receive the right support. Initiatives highlighted that they used a range of mechanisms to help both staff and referral partners understand the distinction between parental conflict and domestic abuse; for example, training resources developed as part of the wider RPC programme were used to support staff at Coram. The language used with referring organisations – and consequently, with prospective parents – became a key focus for Coram to avoid inappropriate referrals. REF utilised the Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities RPC domestic abuse screening tool to support the identification of domestic abuse and developed a resource pack for staff to deepen practitioner knowledge.

Parental conflict is when disagreements or arguments between parents are poorly resolved, but there is not an imbalance of power or fear. Domestic violence is when any of the following behaviour occurs: physical or sexual abuse; violent or threatening behaviour; controlling or coercive control; economical, psychological and emotional abuse.

– (The Write Time’s guidance to staff on identifying domestic abuse)

For the most part, initiatives found that families experiencing active domestic abuse were identified by referring organisations before reaching Challenge Fund interventions. However, this was not always the case. For example, Herefordshire Vennture, where the majority of referrals were obtained through schools, found that domestic abuse was less-frequently identified before referral stage and not apparent until the intervention was working with families intensively in their homes, as schools were commonly unaware of domestic abuse in the home environment. In the early stages of the programme particularly, Herefordshire Vennture found that families experiencing domestic abuse were not identified until they were already engaged in their intervention. In these cases, although trusted relationships had been built between Herefordshire Vennture staff and the families, onward referrals were made to services such as Early Help and Women’s Aid, but this often took time. As the programme progressed, Herefordshire Vennture worked with another Challenge Fund initiative (Relate) to develop screening questions which were deployed at an earlier stage of engagement with families, as well as strengthening their messaging to referrers.  

Herefordshire Vennture noted that the structure of their initiative – delivering mentoring support in families’ homes – meant that their presence in the home weekly positioned staff well to identify safeguarding concerns. Interestingly, this made it more difficult to identify domestic abuse taking place in separated families, as one parent was not present at the sessions.

Herefordshire Vennture’s learning related to differentiating between parental conflict and domestic abuse  

1. Schools did not always have sufficient knowledge of what was happening between parents to know if there was domestic abuse compared to parental conflict. 

2. Screening early for domestic abuse is vital. 

3. There is a “murky area” when parents are separating/are separated where parents can be abusive to each other or show controlling elements – however this may not be domestic abuse. 

4. The bespoke mentoring approach allows the flexibility needed to better discern and/or address some instances where abuse emerges as an issue by enhancing support from other agencies. 

5. The ‘Relationship Communication Continuum Model’, developed by VCSE organisation SFAC3, was found to be a simple but clear approach which could enhance discerning between domestic abuse, parental conflict and normal disagreements. 

6. Some parents had not recognised that they were in an abusive relationship, or that their co-parent was abusive. 

7. Wider safeguarding system needs were identified: 

a. Build a clearer, shared understanding of parental conflict and domestic abuse. 

b. Develop processes to better manage / hold risk when ambiguities become apparent. 

c. Support schools better in responding to concerns; when referrals are not progressed, they are often left holding the ‘risk’. 

d. Stop default processes that lead to families being de-escalated to ‘no support’.

As noted elsewhere in the report, having staff with relevant previous experience was useful in supporting appropriate engagement. At Intercom, a member of their delivery team had previously been an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA), which had been of significant benefit for identifying cases where domestic abuse may be / was present. They also noted that they built in separate meetings with family members wherever possible to allow opportunities for disclosure of domestic abuse. For Intercom, only two families with domestic abuse in the household were identified after engaging with the initiative. In both cases, these families were already engaging with local domestic abuse services.

During the pilot phase of their app, OnePlusOne conducted interviews with parents and found what they described to be “a very fine line of high levels of conflict between separated couples and what could be seen as low-level emotional and financial abuse”, reflecting the learning identified by Herefordshire Vennture. These parents often referred to power imbalances between themselves and their ex-partners, particularly relating to finances (for example, reducing or withholding financial support), and described how they found themselves limited in access to support, falling below thresholds for children’s services, for example. OnePlusOne highlighted that the parents involved in this research did not disclose experiencing domestic abuse prior to separation, and the relationship breakdown had exacerbated or triggered the power imbalance. Where domestic abuse had been present before the relationship breakdown, the parent was receiving specialist support through their local authority. OnePlusOne perceived these power imbalances to be a “grey area” between conflict and abuse, requiring additional research on how best to support parents experiencing such a situation.  

As at Relate, domestic abuse screening tools were built into OnePlusOne’s app. Monitoring data did not identify a high “quit rate” on the domestic abuse screener, meaning that users were not leaving the app immediately after reading it. Similarly, no users were identified through the chatbot or parenting plan as ‘at risk’ or requiring referral to external services. Regardless, OnePlusOne did create a list of domestic abuse services for all local authorities in England which parents using the app were able to access through the app’s menu.

3.4 Parental attitudes to conflict  

There were mixed views amongst initiatives (and the parents using their services) about awareness of parental conflict and particularly the associated impacts. At Herefordshire Vennture for example, most parents did not recognise the impact of parental conflict, either on themselves or especially on their children. They noted that parents would often say that they did not argue in front of the children and thus believed no impact could be felt, not recognising the atmosphere that was left after an argument. Conversely, at YES, the majority of parents who engaged with the support were clear that unresolved conflict was having a detrimental impact on their children’s outcomes and wellbeing. Parents reported seeing emotional and psychological impacts, behavioural impacts, academic challenges and social challenges (such as withdrawing and / or forming unhealthy relationships themselves). At The Write Time, some participants – particularly those who were attending coffee mornings, for example, in the early stages of engagement with the initiative – were reticent to engage in conversations about RPC due to confusion between conflict and abuse and feeling stigmatised by the concept. In this case, giving participants clear definitions and examples, and using non-judgemental language and approaches, helped parents to better articulate their experiences and engage further in the support offered.

Learning across the initiatives highlighted circumstances that could impact on experiences of conflict and / or attitudes towards resolving it. At Herefordshire Vennture, delivery helped identify several circumstances and experiences unique to influencing or amplifying conflict in military families, for example in relation to deployments, isolation and instability, which had to be factored into their delivery of RPC-related material. REF found that parents of children with SEND experienced particular challenges which influenced their experience of conflict, for example feeling isolated and frustrated as a result of disagreements with co-parents or extended family.   

YES also highlighted that parental attitudes to conflict varied according to a range of factors including cultural norms and gender. The initiative notes that the majority of self-referrals to their offer came from women, who were generally more open to recognising the impact of unresolved conflict on the wellbeing of their family. This appeared to be the case for those both in intact couples and those who were separated. In terms of cultural norms, the initiative found that families from ethnic minorities were less open to discussing conflict in a public space, and particularly those from Asian backgrounds saw conflict as a private matter to be resolved in the home. This finding was echoed by REF, who found that in some communities where traditional gender roles were in play, the norm was to avoid conflict discussions. This created some resistance in the early stages of delivery to engage in RPC-related activities. REF also noted that some parents were resistant to exploring their own role in conflict, often blaming the other parent. This was particularly common amongst fathers, again echoing the learning from YES’s initiative.  

In terms of addressing parental attitudes towards conflict, REF engaged a number of measures including awareness raising and educating, normalising conversations about conflict (and thus reducing stigma, judgement and barriers to talking about family dynamics), and by using interactive approaches such as role play and group discussions. The approach of normalising the concept of conflict was also an important factor in delivery at The Write Time. For SEND families, practical strategies for communication were seen to be particularly important, while fathers responded well and had “lightbulb moments” when exposed to concepts of power and control, empathy, and the impact of conflict on children.  

Across the initiatives, relational approaches were deemed to be important in addressing attitudes to parental conflict. Herefordshire Vennture noted the importance of “Matching, Pacing and Leading” – using terminology and language that is appropriate to the target group and setting, and reflecting the language families use themselves to describe their relationships, while allowing families to take the lead in helping themselves. Similarly, Intercom highlighted the importance of tailoring the language used according to the family context; in some cases, the term conflict was felt to be appropriate, while in others “disagreements” and “difficult conversations” might be used. Relate have trained their AI chatbots to use language such as strengthening relationships rather than conflict and have taken particular care around the language used in a separation context; for example, avoiding terminology like “ex-partner” and focusing on civilised and cooperative coparenting. YES focused on framing conversations around positive change and goal setting, using empowering language to encourage open dialogue, while Intercom also attempted to change the stigmatising narrative around the term conflict, noting in their materials for parents that conflict can also be constructive. This sentiment was echoed by OnePlusOne, where delineation between constructive and destructive conflict has been a theme in their materials relating to communication skills and behaviour modelling.

3.4.1 Conflict in separated families 

Several initiatives identified learning specific to the provision of support for separated parents. For example, Herefordshire Vennture noted that in separated families, generally: 

• couples become used to conflict and perceive it to be normal and often unavoidable

• couples find conflict is high when they are working through the court process. For example, parents felt that solicitor letters often used inflammatory language which would escalate conflict  

• a court agreement/resolution does not stop conflict 

• couples feared that if they were not ‘fighting’ for their children they would be seen as not caring, or that they would miss out 

• the co-parent gaining a new partner often exacerbated conflict, creating concern that they would take the other parent’s place 

• couples held misconceptions about what a good co-parenting relationship would be like post-separation, believing that this meant you had to remain friends  

As such, delivery staff focused on “unfreezing minds” - changing perspectives and providing the means to think differently, resetting expectations around relationships and clarifying responsibilities within those relationships. OnePlusOne found that in the separated families involved in their user research, levels of conflict increased the longer the separation had been in place. Much as Herefordshire Vennture found, those parents involved in OnePlusOne’s user research flagged that the involvement of the legal system (especially going to court) exacerbated conflict, sometimes tipping relationships into what was perceived by the researchers as low-level abuse. Importantly, OnePlusOne highlighted that the process of separation is not linear; the need for support (and the type of support needed) is likely to vary throughout the journey.

3.5 Intervention delivery  

Establishing trust was crucial for the successful implementation of interventions. Coram experienced an extended lead-in period while working with schools and partners for referrals, particularly in SEND schools. Facilitating therapists often needed to invest significant time working closely with families of children with complex needs to help them settle into the programme. This required proactive engagement beyond standard practices, including substantial championing work with schools and careful scheduling. Similarly, Herefordshire Vennture found that taking a slow, considered approach during early project setup ultimately enabled faster and more effective delivery, due to gaining insight into their target group.  

Many initiatives recognised the importance of adapting their delivery methods to meet the unique needs of children and families. Coram adapted their approach to accommodate individual requirements while Intercom tailored their RPC support to be neurodiverse-friendly. REF implemented courses in community languages and provided gender-specific groups to better engage participants who might struggle with mainstream services. Offering additional support such as childcare, meals, and flexible scheduling helped reduce logistical barriers and improved attendance rates. REF’s use of freelance practitioners allowed for expanded geographic coverage, enhancing accessibility. REF also found that forming targeted groups catering to specific demographics created a sense of safety and minimised judgment among participants. In-home delivery by Herefordshire Vennture proved effective, completing 1,164 mentoring sessions and helping to break down emotional barriers. 

REF utilised WhatsApp for consistent communication, sending out regular reminders that helped sustain delivery. 

Coram identified the potential benefit of extra funding for translators during the referral stage, which would alleviate pressure on referrers and encourage diverse participation. Additionally, some initiatives suggested exploring a better balance between adult and child-focused sessions, with parents expressing interest in more adult-only discussions. 

Using strengths-based terminology positively influenced programme delivery and participant engagement. For instance, Coram referred to their initiative as “Family Harmony,” which helped de-stigmatise family struggles and foster a non-judgmental atmosphere. Relate trained their staff to incorporate positive language, such as “cooperative” and “civilised,” which further supported this approach. 

Arts-based activities proved effective in enhancing well-being and family relationships. Coram’s creative therapies and mixed modality interventions were favourably received by governance boards, highlighting meaningful changes in participants’ mental health. Participants in The Write Time reflected on how these activities helped manage stress and foster community through non-judgmental spaces, particularly during weekly coffee mornings, which were vital for reducing feelings of isolation.

Herefordshire Vennture found peer-to-peer support less effective, while REF benefited from organic support networks that extended beyond the programme timeline, showing varying effectiveness based on how relationships developed.  

Herefordshire Vennture found that they had to take a flexible approach to working with dads. They found they needed to be flexible, not just in the approach but also with logistics—they found they needed to meet Dads where it suited them, often remotely, as some had moved away.  

OnePlusOne and Relate received some positive feedback about the benefits of having a system accessible on a mobile device making it very flexible and easy to pick up as and when. This is also beneficial for easing the emotional hardship of the subject matter as participants could complete them in bite-sized chunks.

3.5.1 Retaining families  

In a minority of cases, families disengaged from support. Herefordshire Venture reflected that for most of the small number of families who disengaged mid-programme, there were high levels of conflict in place which commonly linked to separation and contact with the children. . As such, non-completion was attributed to developing family pressures. Intercom noted that a few of their referrals did not yet feel ready to access support, and REF found that where parents disengaged, it was often due to a lack of understanding of the RPC rather than the parenting focus. They also found that some families disengaged due to chaotic lives, poor mental health, and having children with special needs. Several initiatives found that having recruited one parent, it was often hard to recruit the other parent.

3.5.2 Onward referrals to local services   

Where it was felt that the current programme was not best placed to meet the needs of participants, participants were referred to other local services. These needs included issues related to mental health, additional stressors from having a child with SEND, needing legal support for separation, and problems with housing. In these cases, participants were referred to services including children’s social services, Early Help, adult mental health crisis teams, housing teams, financial services, legal support, local mental health VCSEs, and young person counselling or Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHs).  

Opinions were mixed with regards to whether referrals to wider services were successful, due to some confounding factors. Herefordshire Vennture noted that they had tried to increase their capacity by making support referrals where other services would better suit family needs. However, they found a number of gaps in the available options, such as services for domestic abuse, mental health, and free or legal advice about separation. REF also echoed the lack of legal aid available.  Intercom also felt gaps where some programmes were only delivered online, and others were far away in areas with poor public transport. REF noted that a barrier for BAME parents to access services was poor past experiences. However, REF’s position as independent allowed them to build trust with families before helping them through a referral. They identified several groups most likely to be affected by mistrust of services: Parents who had limited English, Fathers, Children, Families from BAME communities, and Mothers who had experienced domestic abuse. YES felt that young parents found a lack of trust to be a barrier to accessing broader services. The Write Time did note that local services seemed keen to accept referrals from them as a trusted organisation.

4. Outcomes  

4.1 Gathering participant feedback  

The initiatives collected participant feedback through a range of formats to track family progress against their targeted outcomes, including self-reported pre- and post-measures, professionals’ observations, qualitative interviews and focus groups with service users, and quantitative measures of demographics and emotional readiness.  

Pre- and post-measures

Coram, Herefordshire Vennture, Intercom, and YES have all measured indicators including parent stress and wellbeing, levels of conflict, and quality of communication between parents / co-parents before, during and after their engagement with the programme. For YES, this has included utilising existing measures such as the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale for parents, while Herefordshire Vennture developed their own Thriving Scale around wellbeing, anxiety and behaviour, which they then used to map a web of progress, the Impactasaurus. Coram used Goal-based Outcome Measures with parents during their first and last session to understand how parents progressed against goals of improved communication and strengthened relationships. Intercom developed a self-report measure to assess the unique aspects of minority stress for their heterosexual and cisgender parents, as well as partners and children of LGBT+ people. The Write Time and REF distributed surveys to parents at the start and end of the programme to measure changes in attitudes, knowledge and skills. As well as being able to measure family progress, it has also given parents accountability to keep to their commitments.  

Due to the nature of the app and how parents used it, Relate were unable to collect pre- and post-measures but gathered data on parent’s general experiences of the app through Typeform, which provided  useful feedback on the app experience as well as measures such as wellbeing. This feedback was used to adjust some of the wording for the bots and, though mostly positive experiences, some users found limitations knowing they were talking to a bot (rather than a real person) and wanted a second opinion before implementing some of the suggestions.   

Young peoples’ feedback

Some of the initiatives have gathered feedback from the child and young person themselves to understand their wellbeing and experience of conflict. Coram used Goal-based Outcome Measures with the children aged over eight years old in a format that allowed for more creative responses with the use of drawings and sad and smiley faces to express their feelings. The Write Time also incorporated feedback mechanisms for children and young people to feed into, such as the Needs Star to explore different areas, such as freedom and survival, self-worth, love and belonging.  

Professional reflections

To triangulate these self-recorded findings from service users, professionals also shared reflections and observations of the families they work with, offering valuable insights of progress. This helped Herefordshire Vennture and REF to better understand their families and to adjust the programme materials and delivery methods to better suit the participants where required. 

Qualitative measures

Initiatives have used qualitative measures throughout the programme to understand their participants’ development against outcomes. For Coram, Herefordshire Vennture, OnePlusOne and the Write Time, this included semi-structured interviews, feedback sessions and focus groups with participants. These were held on an individual basis to look at the individual journey, and/or as focus groups to open discussions, share experiences and discuss challenges. Intercom, OnePlusOne and REF administered surveys and feedback forms throughout the lifetime of the programme and after key milestones such as the Family Pride events, to gather immediate input from participants and understand the impact of the programme on participants’ lives. More informally, facilitators at the Write Time held conversations with families during activities and events to gain real time insights in a more relaxed and open dialogue. 

Quantitative measures

Quantitative measures have enabled programmes, including The Write Time and OnePlusOne, to track progress, including participation satisfaction and engagement, emotional readiness scores, and the impact of the programme.

Enablers and barriers to response rates

There were a range of barriers for interventions when gathering feedback; for YES, some of their participants did not complete the course resulting in a low response rate to follow-up surveys, making it difficult to measure impact over time. This was a similar case for Relate, with users more likely to drop off from digital support at any point, as well as work commitments and family responsibilities (Relate also had limited budget for evaluation and follow up, with users having to ‘opt in’ before they could contact and interview). Herefordshire Vennture noticed how some parents were not always truthful in their self-scoring at the beginning of the programme, for example, they were not honest about their communication issues, and so movement was difficult to monitor. STAR measurements were also unsuitable to track the more complex issues of parental conflict. At REF, parents were often reluctant to provide information and to fill out forms, concerned about how their data would be used, and preferring to focus their time on completing the programme. 

To improve response rates, programmes have seen the benefit of dedicating time at the end of sessions for participants to complete feedback forms before leaving. REF incentivised completion for the online course and involved community organisations/facilitators in collecting feedback and insights from in-person delivery sites, recognising the trusted relationships they have with parents.

4.2 What changed for families?   

The key outcomes for families that the projects hoped to achieve included decreased levels of conflict in parenting and co-parenting relationships; improved communications; and improved behaviours and wellbeing. Most initiatives met these targets. In some instances, parents and families have been able to access further tools and information resources, as well as additional peer networks, to support them beyond the initiative timeframes. 

Reducing conflict

One of the main targets for the initiatives was decreased levels of conflict within the family. Parents engaged with OnePlusOne support self-reported reduced levels of conflict; around 56% of parents at the Write Time had shown reduced conflict with their co-parent in front of their child; and 82% of children at Herefordshire Vennture experienced reduced exposure to parental conflict. Parents at Coram self-reported strengthened family relationships in their pre- and post- scores, and 47.1% of parents reported an improvement in family relationships as a result of Intercom’s family practitioner support and Family Pride events. This has been achieved by parents engaging in bespoke mentoring to learn skills and strategies when dealing with their partners and being aware of the impact conflict has on their children. Herefordshire Vennture provided parents with coping strategies which helped them to be less reactive and to move on in better ways. Parents engaged with OnePlusOne and REF reported being more aware and empathetic of the impact of conflict on their children and so kept their children in mind when engaging with their ex-partner, improving their reactions and interactions.

I think that’s probably the most useful thing I took away from it, which is really just reminding me no matter how angry and cross and upset you feel, and that’s normal to feel like that, but remember to think about the kids.

– App user, OnePlusOne

Twenty-one% of OnePlusOne’s app users were also less likely to use court after using the app, reducing conflict and the need for mediation. A strong emphasis on emotional regulation helped participants to avoid impulsive reactions and heated exchanges, and to instead adopt a more constructive approach to conflict situations by managing their feelings or postponing conversations until they feel more in control. This was particularly relevant for fathers at REF; through the sessions, they learnt empathy skills, addressed power dynamics and assertiveness, and gained a clearer understanding of their role in reducing conflict.

I never realised that the course has had a positive impact on me and my reactions. In normal circumstances, where I would lose my cool and overreact when co-parent would provoke me; I am more calm and show no emotions to any of her behaviours. I have learnt to also praise and stay child focussed.

– Service user, REF

Improving communication

Another outcome that programmes hoped to achieve for families was improved communication. There has been varying levels of improved communication among the initiatives. Coram focussed on working with families to identify simple ways of communicating differently. Positively, all eight parents who completed Coram’s pre- and post- measures reported improved communication within the family. 76% of the families engaged in Herefordshire Vennture’s mentoring support reported improved communication in their parenting/co-parenting relationships, while 94% reported improved communication with their children.  

My partner backs me up now in my parenting, so (child) cannot play us off against each other. The communication work helped me to not lose it at school especially and means that my partner and I are able to communicate better now.

–  Service user, Herefordshire Vennture 

The OnePlusOne chatbot dealt with parents’ queries around co-parenting issues and how to better handle arguments with their co-parent. This helped parents be more aware of how they communicate, manage their emotions, and recognise their partner’s perspective when communicating.  

I always do keep in mind, or not always, nine times out of 10, keep in mind how I’m speaking, and they have been really useful. I would say that was probably, in my opinion, the best part of the app.

– App user, OnePlusOne

Despite this, OnePlusOne saw only a slight improvement in parents’ pre- and post- scores for communication. While YES held workshops with parents, delivering tools to improve their communication and tailoring Motivational Interviewing sessions for parents to reflect on their communication style, they did not achieve any reported improvements in communication among parents. The main barrier to this was that a substantial number of participants were separated or divorced from a co-parent who was absent or disengaged. 

Improved wellbeing

Initiatives have improved wellbeing among parents and their children and significantly boosted their confidence – this has been the case for eight out of ten (82%) of the parents engaged with Herefordshire Vennture; 94.4% of the parents at Intercom; and 72% of the parents at YES. This has been largely attributed to feeling listened to by programme staff and facilitators.

Our Vennture Link Worker took time to get to know us as a family, to identify areas which she could support us. She was non-judgemental, kind and caring. This made us feel relaxed and able to be vulnerable with her. As a family we are definitely communicating better now.

 – Service user, Herefordshire Vennture 

Ninety-four per cent of parents at The Write Time reported improvements across their five basic needs, including self-worth, love and belonging, because of occupational therapy, group mentoring and wellbeing activities. Users of the OnePlusOne app experienced multiple emotional benefits, including feeling less anxious and more level-headed as a result of the app, normalising their experiences. Sixty-two per cent of those who gave feedback to Relate rated themselves as feeling much better after engaging with the chatbot around parental conflict issues. Similarly, participants of REF experienced reduced parental stress as a result of the sessions. Intercom’s Family Pride events and parent groups also offered the opportunity for parents to feel listened to and less alone in their experiences. 

An invaluable service, whose support for both my child and me has made a huge positive change to our life. They allowed us to not feel alone, and normalise this experience in our lives that not many people have. We felt listened to and understood. I have nothing but praise for the service.

– Service user, Intercom 

A high percentage of the children engaged with Herefordshire Vennture, Intercom, and The Write Time experienced improved wellbeing, including specific feelings of self-worth, love and belonging; and reduced levels of anxiety.

Further information, advice and guidance

Parents and families have been able to access tools and information resources via Herefordshire Vennture, OnePlusOne, and REF. Herefordshire Vennture have attended school events, such as parents’ evenings, coffee mornings and sports days, to raise awareness of further support and guidance that parents can access past the lifetime of the service. The advice and guidance given in Separating Better on the OnePlusOne app was described by 57% of users as helpful / very helpful. This supported parents to better understand their situation, their rights, what they need to do and how to access further support, as well as emotionally ready to engage in what needed to be done. REF’s resources include useful strategies and techniques to help manage conflict, helping parents to challenge and reflect on parental techniques.   

Peer networks

Although not a key target for initiatives, a lot of parents experienced benefits of a peer network, via group sessions, going on to establish engagement beyond the programme sessions. Participants of REF have organically formed support groups, continuing to meet up with other parents and provide mutual support. Peer networks have led to parents feeling less isolated in their experiences; have supported role modelling of parenting styles and coping mechanisms; and increased parents’ confidence. 

Meeting the other parents highlighted that parents have different strokes of parenting styles, coping mechanisms, and support. It boosted my confidence to carry on, thank you.

– Service user, YES

4.3. What changed for practitioners?  

Initiatives aimed to improve practitioners’ delivery, skills and knowledge in supporting families experiencing parental conflict through training opportunities and awareness raising.  

Training

Overall, practitioners successfully engaged with training offered by initiatives which has supported delivery. 139 practitioners from local authorities, the NHS and therapy services, schools and universities attended in-person and online training on Coram’s Family Harmony Toolkit. Teachers and teaching assistants in 37 schools engaged with Herefordshire Vennture’s workshops and teacher training around protective behaviours and parental conflict. Practitioners have been trained in YES’ Motivational Interviewing techniques, which supports them to address parental conflict in a non-judgemental way. REF trained practitioners in programme delivery and domestic abuse sensitivity in trusted community organisations that are equipped to deliver the course in different community languages, for example, Somali and Bangla, supporting both in-person and online delivery of sessions. Relate engaged local authorities to adopt their AI tools so they can incorporate it into their toolkit for reducing parental conflict.

Equipped to deal with parental conflict

A high number of practitioners self-reported improvements to their practice, including an increase in skills, awareness, confidence when dealing with parental conflict, as a result of training and engagement with initiatives. As a result of Coram’s Family Harmony Toolkit, 87% of practitioners said they felt more informed about parental conflict and its potential impact on children, and 80% said they felt more equipped to support families experiencing parental conflict. This included using creative activities, and therapeutic and non-judgemental approaches when working with families. Herefordshire Vennture focussed on growing “team and organisational intelligence” around parental conflict; they enhanced practitioners’ understanding of conflict which helped them to develop more bespoke and practical responses to families struggling with conflict, rather than a one-size fits all generic approach. The project successfully engaged 120 practitioners who reported feeling better equipped to discuss parental conflict. This was particularly important for families of Herefordshire Vennture, living in rural communities where smaller schools might not have access to the level of pastoral resources that larger schools have. Educating schools and professionals about parental conflict was therefore critical, especially focussing on how parental conflict manifests in children’s behaviours and upskilling teachers to identify and record signs of parental conflict on the school’s My Concern platform.  As a result of the session, practitioners felt more inspired and confident to look out for signs that conflict may be happening in a child’s home. They gave examples of how they would change their practice, for example, being more alert to signs of changes in behaviours or emotions, and more confidence to check in more regularly with children and have conversations with parents.  

I will be more aware of the child/parents’ interactions at the beginning and end of the day.

– Practitioner, Herefordshire Vennture 

I will pay more attention to conversations with parents/what I see on gate duty.

– Practitioner, Herefordshire Vennture

Intercom, REF and YES reported how their own teams gained an improved understanding of the complexities surrounding parental conflict and the impact it can have on families, which helped them when working with both parents and children. Intercom upskilled their staff team in mediation techniques which will be sustained throughout the wider team. For REF, this included developing appropriate terminology among the team and tailoring sessions for specific participant needs, including specific minority communities and fathers. YES learnt more effective ways to engage participants and address the underlying causes of parental conflict, delivering workshops focussed on conflict resolution. Relate worked with Herefordshire Vennture, REF, and Intercom to train their team with the specific knowledge and experience around military, ethnic minority and LGBT+ families.

5. Sustaining RPC support  

Challenge Fund initiatives highlighted that demand and need for RPC-related support exists and will continue to do so beyond 2025/26, when funding is due to end. This chapter explores what plans are in place for the initiatives to sustain their work and examines the factors initiatives believe could warrant further exploration in any future delivery. Finally, initiative perceptions on value for money of their Challenge Fund activity are presented.  

5.1. Plans for sustaining support  

There was significant appetite across the initiatives to continue the delivery of RPC-related support. However, the primary barrier to sustainability across the initiatives remains the lack of available funding; while all were committed to continuing, none of the eight initiatives had managed to secure funding to before the final learning reports were submitted. However, at the start of March 2025, OnePlusOne, Race Equality Foundation and Hereford Vennture presented evidence and RPC resources produced at a special seminar to Local Authorities who are in the process of considering how they will use their 2025/2026 RPC Funding from DWP. Family Action, who recently took over Relate, have agreed to continue funding two of the chatbots: ‘in the middle’ and ‘sounding board’ bots.  

Several initiatives highlighted that the Challenge Fund has allowed for networks to be built, resources to be created, and staff capacity and skills to be developed, along with demonstrating initiative ideas work through monitoring and evaluation. However, funding was essential not only for staffing, but also for costs of maintaining IT infrastructure for online delivery (for example, at REF), or for maintaining Chatbot platforms (for example, at Relate). In the latter example, Relate was clear that the service should remain free at the point of use for families in need, and as such, the costs for two of the apps should be borne by commissioners. Similarly, OnePlusOne has explored the potential of licensing their app, although currently local authorities have indicated that there is no funding available for them to take up a licence. OnePlusOne has also expressed concerns that piecemeal licensing arrangements could create a ’postcode lottery’ for support, with potential for families in neighbouring LAs having different access to resources. As such, OnePlusOne will continue to seek national funding for the app to be rolled out.     

Localised delivery is less of a concern for SDF initiatives, and most noted that they will continue to work with stakeholders such as local authority Early Help teams – not only as a route to embedding learning around RPC in wider practice, as planned by Coram, but also to encourage them to invest in initiatives as part of their mainstream family support offer, as planned by REF. Currently, REF is working with LAs to explore a commissioning model, for example through a licencing fee to access the SFSC course, or by purchasing blocks of online course places. REF has provided training to facilitators based in community organisations, and they are encouraged to continue providing the programme within their own agencies where possible. Fundraisers in REF will also continue to seek opportunities through sponsorships and grants, and YES are actively seeking funding through grants, partnerships and other sources. The Write Time also plan to continue to strengthen relationships and networks with local organisations, schools and community groups to reach more families and secure resources in an attempt to sustain the Take Charge programme in the longer term.

At Intercom, plans are in place to continue providing Family Pride events to support community connectivity and reduce minority stress in LGBT+ families, and their family resource booklet will remain in use. However, they, like others, have not yet been successful in securing funding to continue with their Challenge Fund delivery in full. Herefordshire Vennture has explored avenues to replicate and franchise their approach to other VCSE providers. They believe there is opportunity for scaling different high-impact elements of the approach and are in the process of ‘productising’ the model with a view to testing it over the next 12 months. Like REF and The Write Time, Herefordshire Vennture also plan to run the training workshops previously delivered in schools for other Faith and Community Organisations.

5.2. Scope for future development  

Each of the initiatives have conducted evaluations of their Challenge Fund delivery, providing an important mechanism for identifying what works. Through this route, initiatives have been able to highlight learning about positive engagement with target families, and what different families need / want to focus on during delivery. Equally, the process of evaluating initiatives has facilitated an understanding of areas in relation to provision of RPC support that could usefully be further explored.  

Initiatives widely acknowledged that more time to test materials and approaches that were developed during programme delivery would be beneficial, particularly in terms of supporting further roll out or scaling up. Commonly, initiatives flagged that they would also ideally like time and resource to respond to recommendations outlined in their evaluations.   

There were a range of issues that initiatives suggested as potential for further exploration. For example, Herefordshire Vennture would be keen to develop their offer to include specific support for young people whose parents have separated, with a view to supporting the development of coping mechanisms and facilitating their own healthy relationships in the future. Coram would like to explore mechanisms for engaging dads (for example, sessions delivered at weekends or out of working hours) and identified a need for a data analyst to explore localised data to find gaps in provision. Coram also felt that the use of translators for minority language speakers at referral and assessment stage would have been beneficial to support engagement.   

Some of YES’s participants faced complex challenges in their lives (housing, mental health issues, financial difficulties). With further funding, they would be interested to offer a more comprehensive approach to support to encapsulate some of these issues, better meeting specific needs. Similarly, The Write Time would be interested to test whether offering childcare would promote engagement in Take Charge sessions, particularly given the complex needs experienced by families with SEND.  

At OnePlusOne, there was a particular interest in exploring whether a supported delivery model for Separating Better would lead to different outcomes for parents using the app in a self-guided manner. Relate would like to explore further development of the AI tools, particularly in relation to a greater focus on the legal issues related to separation and divorce. They highlighted that by better aligning tools with the family court and child maintenance systems, there would be strong potential for preventing breakdown of communication and reaching agreements between separating parents without escalation to court.

Finally, Herefordshire Vennture described seeking funding from other sources to continue their testing and development work to lay foundations for upscaling and replication but found that funders were focussed on delivery rather than test and learn approaches.  

5.3. Perceptions of value for money  

Initiatives widely expressed that the Challenge Fund has created value for money by facilitating the development of new approaches for new target groups; much of the work delivered by the initiatives was perceived to have been impossible without the funding. Initiatives highlighted the capacity built within funded organisations, but also amongst local authorities, schools and voluntary sector providers. OnePlusOne argue that conflict between separating parents creates significant pressure on the family courts and related services. Providing interventions which promote improved communication between separating parents could therefore provide longer term savings. This echoes Relate’s sentiment that better tools could potentially prevent escalation of separation to the family court system.

As part of their evaluation of Herefordshire Vennture’s initiative, Rose Regeneration conducted a Social Return on Investment exercise using the Social Value Engine4. This concluded that the intervention had generated £2.16 of social value for every £1 invested. The initiative’s evaluation also included a Benefit-Cost ratio of between 2.08 and 2.45, suggesting that the initiative was efficient and offered value for money, providing benefits over and above the costs incurred.

6. Reflections on learning from Challenge Fund 2  

6.1 SDF initiatives  

Overall, there is a rich body of learning from the SDF initiatives in Challenge Fund 2. The following summary reflects on each project, looking back at their anticipated learning and summarising their key contribution to the field.   

Race Equality Foundation 

REF aimed to test whether introducing reducing parental conflict material into their established Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities parenting programme was effective. They tested both face to face courses and online content.  Their numbers were sufficient to draw robust conclusions, and they worked hard to ensure completion of sufficient evaluation forms: Adding extra time during sessions and directly assisting parents with forms improved participation rates, particularly in online courses. Incentivising completion through a monthly prize draw also had a significant impact.  As highlighted already in this report, they also gathered learning in relation to engaging and retaining participants.  

They succinctly summarised the outcomes and key learning from their delivery. Challenge Fund 2 allowed them to:

• establish the infrastructure to deliver a national set of online courses 

• build a network of delivery organisations for in person interventions to specific target groups including community language delivery   

• develop a model for training local practitioners to engage and deliver RPC interventions to a range of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities 

• and demonstrate proof of concept that both the SFSC Stronger Families online and in person interventions can engage diverse communities and address parental conflict

Alongside this, they have been able to upskill their wider SFSC delivery team, so that awareness and understanding of RPC has become a part of their delivery of their existing parenting programme as well.

Herefordshire Vennture 

Herefordshire Vennture also contributed substantial learning from their delivery, having reached sufficient schools and parents to draw robust conclusions.  They aimed to test whether a model of using home-based link workers supporting families was effective in rural context, partnering with schools and a local garrison to engage parents. Their delivery demonstrated effectiveness in reducing parental conflict, with significant reductions in child exposure to parental conflict and improved communication in co-parenting relationship.  

Alongside this, they developed a range of processes for use in a rural context to support RPC:  

1. Engaging with rural schools  

2. Raising Awareness of Reducing Parental Conflict in School  

3. Training Link Workers in mentoring families who are experiencing parental conflict  

4. Separated family’s mentoring journey (visual)  

5. Getting To Know You – with domestic abuse screening  

6. Journey Mapping  

7. Thriving scale and Impactasaurus  

8. Using Scaling Statements to understand next steps and barriers  

9. Using the voice of the child to support parents reflect on impact of conflict  

10. Using Protective Behaviours tools in reducing parental conflict  

11. De-escalating Communication toolkit  

12. Developing a Care Kit  

They are working to ‘productise’ these process to be able to scale the model to other areas, as well as completing a tool for teacher engagement based on project learning. 

The Write Time 

The Write Time aimed to test whether Take Charge/Choice Theory is effective in reducing parental conflict in parents with SEN children. Their holistic approach to supporting families facing complex circumstances was hugely valued by families and led to effective engagement in their programme. They utilised standardised measures to assess reductions in parental conflict and had sufficient participant numbers to evidence successes in reducing parental conflict, as well as reduced levels of stress.   

The Write Time also aimed to test whether Choice Theory could be delivered by para-professionals. Their findings in this area had conditions: 

The findings suggest that it is possible for other organisations across the country to roll this Programme out using facilitators who are not qualified in Choice Theory. However, for the Take Charge sessions, a sound understanding of Choice Theory was found to be essential in order to teach the concepts effectively. Following consultations with the William Glasser Institute UK and the William Glasser International, it is recommended that the facilitator attend at least the Basic Intensive four-day workshop and then work closely with a certified Choice Theory supervisor. With the training, supervisor’s support and the use of the Facilitators Toolkit, the hope is that they can successfully facilitate their own Take Charge sessions.

Youth Engagement Solutions 

YES aimed to test whether Motivational Interviewing would be effective in reducing parental conflict amongst young parents. Throughout the project they struggled to engage young parents, and although their numbers improved slightly towards the end, they did not reach sufficient young parents to reach robust conclusions.   

However, they did achieve learning relating to the effectiveness of Motivational Interviewing:  

The summary of the impact of our initiative shows:

1. improvements in well-being, with most participants showing higher scores after engagement, suggesting a lower or reduced risk of developing depression

2. a reduction in parental stress, with many participants demonstrating lower scores, reflecting better stress management

3. initially higher levels of disagreement and intense conflict within families, which improved over time, with reductions in both the frequency and intensity of disagreements following engagement, and

4. limited impact of the initiative on improving co-parental communication, highlighting the need for adjustments in intervention strategies or a greater focus on specific barriers to effective communication between co-parents. 

They further explained:

Our theory of change was driven by the principles of motivational interviewing, fostering a supportive environment where participants could reflect, build confidence, and navigate ambivalence to make lasting, positive changes in their behaviour. Ultimately, motivational interviewing helped us support parents in moving from conflict to cooperation, creating a foundation for both individual growth and stronger family dynamics. This developed trust and engagement; therefore, motivational interviewing can be adapted to suit different needs. Coaches could address cultural differences and explore other issues such as financial concerns or mental health, thus this flexibility and the use of practical techniques such as listening and emotion regulation led to improved communication and relationships. Participants reported using these tools to de-escalate inter-parental conflicts and to promote more positive family functioning. 

Based on these findings, there is evidence that motivational interviewing could be used effectively to reduce parental conflict.

Intercom Trust 

Intercom’s project aimed to test a blended model of support to reduce parental conflict in LGBT+ families, utilising one-to-one support, group work and counselling, whilst testing what works in relation to engagement.  

Unfortunately, the project was not able to provide robust evidence of effectiveness in reducing parental conflict.  Although they gathered positive feedback from interviews, their evaluation relied primarily on self-reported ‘improved family relationships.’ There was no evidence of improvements in ‘strengths and difficulties questionnaire’ scores or the Parent Problems checklist. In addition, their delivery numbers for the counselling and group work were not large enough to draw robust conclusions.  

However, the project does leave a legacy of a guide resource for parents of LGBT+ young people, which includes two chapters on reducing parental conflict.  In addition, they successfully created a new minority stress indicator. They also contributed learning regarding engagement of LGBT+ families, demonstrating that targeted support can prove effective in this context:  

Being free from feeling pressure to justify themselves or explain their feelings allowed service users to examine, discuss, and develop their thoughts and feelings on gender. This led to an increased understanding of their family and the challenges they faced together and separately, which allowed them to support each other in ways which improved overall wellbeing.

Coram 

Coram aimed to test whether creative therapy, utilising music and art, would be effective in reducing parental conflict in families.  They faced challenges throughout the project in getting families to complete their evaluation forms; this led them to move to goal-based outcomes rather than standardised measures. Their focus throughout was on communication and strengthening family relationships, arguing that this focus is more accessible for parents and improvements here could lead to reducing parental conflict. 

The team noticed that conflict would not typically be an issue families sought support for, unless it had already escalated significantly. This led to refining the offer as catering to families who would benefit from strengthening communication and relationships, in order to prevent the escalation of conflict. It was decided that disclosure of conflict would not be a prerequisite for referral. Taking a preventative, strength-based approach widened the programme’s accessibility and relevance to more families, overcoming the stigma of disclosing conflict. Working on communication between different family members according to need and family configuration, rather than concentrating solely on the interparental couple, was also intended to foster inclusivity and accessibility.   

On the basis of this, in the course of delivery the team modified the goal-based outcomes to include two set goals for all participants, namely improving communication and strengthening relationships, although participants could choose whether to apply these broadly to their family or in relation to a specific family member. The third goal was left open. With this modification, the goal-based outcome was seen by staff as the measure most aligned to the programme’s activities, objectives and light-touch nature.  

It would have been useful learning to see if their focus on communication and wider improved relationships did reduce parental conflict, however unfortunately their chosen measures provided no robust evidence in relation to parental conflict. By focusing on ‘family communication’ and ‘family relationships’ – parents often revert to an emphasis on the parent-child dynamic. A missed opportunity, as it is not possible to say whether the intervention was effective in reducing parental conflict.  

Coram produced a Family Harmony Toolkit as a legacy of the project, containing useful exercises to strengthen communication within families using multi-family creative therapy groups. Although the introduction refers to the aim of reducing parental conflict, the exercises themselves are akin to established family therapy approaches.  The resource may prove useful to the wider families sector, but as outlined above, there is no evidence that this approach reduces parental conflict.

6.2 Digital initiatives  

OnePlusOne and Relate made significant progress over a short timeframe to launch valuable online services for parents. This section focuses on key learning from the design, development and delivery of their products.  

6.2.1 The value of timeline delays to ensure safety and effectiveness 

Both initiatives needed to adapt their approach, timelines and invest extra resources upfront to ensure the safety and effectiveness of their products. However, it is important to note that this had significant consequences on the time available to launch and promote products, attract users, collect monitoring data and conduct any evaluations within the funding timeline.

OnePlusOne developed an app collaborating with a digital agency. There was a lot of learning about what was possible within timelines and budgets, and a great deal of revising and modifying the app in the early stages. For example, OnePlusOne experienced some delays to their build due to technical challenges surrounding the design of the collaborative parenting plan within their App. This required a complex set up behind the scenes to link to parents’ accounts and to enable parents to make, share and agree changes in parenting plans. Once a change had been disputed three times, the App also prompted parents to seek further support. This was achieved through a close working relationship with a digital partner and the evaluation found this to be one of the most popular app features. They needed to adapt their language translation plans once understanding the cost and design work involved.  

Relate were also new to developing chatbots. They decided to invest more work upfront internally to review their data policies and safeguarding, ensuring they were robust and effective. They also needed to spend additional time to evaluate which AI tools and providers to use. They subsequently moved providers to better align with their approach, data security policies and GDPR. Furthermore, Relate quickly realised that a staff moderation approach of AI tools would be too resource intensive. They spent additional time upfront to develop trigger words and functionality to flag safeguarding issues within the tool. Finally, their directory of services was more time intensive than anticipated, because the information about services was not readily available.

6.2.2 Reflections on analytics, monitoring, feedback and evaluation approaches 

Analytics:

OnePlusOne invested in UXCAM to collect detailed analytics and insights into how users interact with their App. This highlighted issues with usability and helped identify improvements. For example, they discovered where impact measurement surveys were causing a high drop off rate. They modified their approach, which in turn, increased user retention and survey completion rates. Collecting analytics has proved invaluable to the evaluation and product development. 

Evaluation:

OnePlusOne commissioned an external evaluation which has captured valuable learning for future initiatives and RPC, documenting their process, outcomes and impact. In contrast, Relate had a much smaller budget overall for the initiative, with limited resources for analytics and no external evaluation. As a result, they needed to scale back their original and ambitious outcomes and data gathering approach via the website. 

Gathering user feedback:

Both initiatives had low initial uptake / completion of their evaluation surveys. They also both simplified their forms (to make them shorter, more user friendly and engaging) to make the process more engaging.  

Incentives for user research / evaluation / surveys:

OnePlusOne found that incentive payments to parents did help to encourage their participation in research. Their evaluation also found that offering a £10 Amazon voucher was effective in incentivising parents to complete the short feedback surveys. However, offering this incentive to all users would be costly and the evaluation also noted that intrinsic motivation was equally important as an incentive to engage. Future initiatives should consider including costs for incentives and how to best offer these.

Analysing content of chats:

Relate is not able to read and analyse the content of chats from their three bots, in line with their safeguarding and data protection approach. As a result, we do have a gap in understanding what users are asking in the chats, or the areas of support they are looking for. Further development of the product architecture is needed to make this possible and in turn, could inform further improvements or new targeted support services. 

Delays to evaluation: 

Digital development delays had significant consequences on the time available to promote products, attract users, collect monitoring data and conduct any evaluations within the current funding timeline. Despite the tight timescales, both projects were able to collect valuable user feedback. OnePlusOne also completed a substantive evaluation highlighting key learning, impact and improvements. 

6.2.3 Expenditure for digital costs

Upfront payments:

Both digital initiatives needed to spend a proportion of their grant upfront. Software licences are cheaper when purchased annually and digital agencies typically require some payment before starting work. This is out of sync with the fund payment structure (in arrears).  

AI costs:

It is worth noting that AI tools have usage and ongoing subscription costs. Relate also used all their AI credits when usage peaked. The complexity of their safeguarding bot and their chat bots working together behind the scenes also used up more credits than anticipated for each individual interaction. As a result, they needed to purchase further credits and consider moving to an alternative (more expensive) package without a limit on credits. The marketplace for AI tools is constantly developing, along with the costs. In this new area of work, we have no historical evidence of costs for service delivery of this nature. Future initiatives using AI tools could benefit from time to explore and understand potential costs with providers and other charities, as well as including a margin of error or contingency in their budget. . 

Online advertising to attract users:

Both initiatives achieved uptake through paid ads and targeted online marketing campaigns, alongside practitioner referrals and word of mouth. Testing different platforms and approaches, whilst gathering analytics has helped to determine which routes are worth investing in further for each initiative.

• relate tested Meta advertising to target parents across the October half term holidays. They also made changes across the Relate website to ensure that the tools were appearing to any parents/carers who were looking for support. This doubled numbers in that week and there is potential to build on this success. They also note a lot of support, interest and engagement from practitioners who subsequently referred parents to the services 

• OnePlusOne found that most users who completed the in-app questionnaire had been referred to Separating Better by a practitioner, such as a family support worker. Other common routes included National Family Matters referral and word of mouth. Social media also played an important role in directing users to the app, with this the fourth most popular route. For example, Google Ads targeted separated parents and resulted in 61,800 click-throughs, leading to 5,993 downloads. Importantly, the evaluation notes that Meta ads were less successful. However, further social media campaigns on both platforms, with a universal approach to marketing are most likely to reach audiences at the earlier stages of separation. This is based on their marketing data for their ‘See it Differently’ campaign

6.2.4 Reflections on users, user needs and engagement 

School summer holidays are difficult for research and engagement: Both initiatives encountered difficulty engaging families and practitioners over the school summer holidays in user research, feedback surveys and evaluation. Furthermore, the evaluation of OnePlusOne highlights that new user signups dipped during the summer months but otherwise increased monthly. This should be planned for in future. 

Parents value being able to ‘dip in and out’ of support: OnePlusOne’s evaluation discovered that parents appreciated being able to engage with the app as and when they needed it. For example, in short bursts in the evening when the children were in bed or to check out a particular query. In other words, parents do not want to use the app as a linear, progressive resource, but want to continue to ‘dip in and out’. This in turn affects the metrics of success collected. This demonstrates the need for parents to access clear advice and practical tools to support them across the separation life course.  

Parents’ emotional readiness and conflict levels: The OnePlusOne app was originally developed to support parents at the early stages of separation but has in fact had a much wider appeal. Of the 1,053 users signed up, the majority (61%) were already separated or divorced. Interestingly, the evaluation reports that the already separated or divorced parents had higher levels of conflict and lower levels of emotional readiness compared with parents who were in the process of separating. The evaluation concludes that there is value in supporting parents to navigate (potential) conflict at all stages of their separation and divorce, as parents develop new co-parenting relationships, children grow up and circumstances change. 

A need for more user research and time to re-focus and develop projects: Both initiatives note areas for development and further user research. OnePlusOne highlights a need to conduct further research with parents who are thinking of separation and in the early stages of separation to understand where they go for support and how best to reach them. Relate note they’d prioritise investing in their ‘Sounding Board’ tool and incorporate more support around the legal side of divorce and separation in each of their tools. Going forward, Relate would focus on developing each tool (especially the ‘Sounding Board’ tool due to positive feedback). This would incorporate more support around the legal side of divorce and separation, as well as a view to collecting more data and insight.

6.2.5 Summary and recommendations for future RPC challenge funds 

• flexibility in funding and timelines is crucial to support initiatives to develop effective products. Future programmes should look at longer lead times or legacy timeframes  

• support initiatives to focus on the most valuable proposition once discovery has taken place or challenges arise (rather than trying to deliver everything promised in an application form)  

• provide the option to access a proportion of the grant upfront rather than in arrears

• dedicate a budget line for evaluation, monitoring and analytics for digital initiatives, with extended time to evaluate after delivery periods have finished

• dedicate a budget line and focus on a communications strategy to reach users, or room to share more learning on communications successes and difficulties  

• without this, the products are less likely to be ‘discovered’ by potential users  

• the digital initiatives have achieved promising reach and engagement so far. However, they do require further time, development and investment to realise value for money

Annex 1: Outputs and Outcomes achieved

OnePlusOne: Key outputs and outcomes	Target	Achieved
The number of times a user comes back to and interacts with the app after the initial download, and the number of users who are doing this.	Number of repeated site engagements: 25 per month	Yes. Monthly engagements have increased over the summer in line with increased digital marketing activity. Target repeated site engagements hit – Aug 86, Sept 125, Oct 129, Nov 90
The number of times the app has been downloaded from either the Apple or Android app store.	Number of app downloads: 1000	Yes. Target downloads exceeded: - Total downloads from launch to 30/11 = 7620 - Downloads during Quarter 6 (Q6) = 3770
The total number of people who see or interact with any of our marketing touch points, website or download our app - this will be across Google Ads, Social media campaigns, user interviews and print marketing.	Number of service-users reached: 300000	Yes. Between September and November OnePlusOne achieved the following through paid advertising: 476,200 impressions through Google Ads and 15,865 impressions to 8957 unique listeners through Acast podcast advertising.  18,800 clicks through Google Ads, 4,900 conversions, resulting in 3,028 downloads.
Bounce rate – The number of users who have downloaded the app but not completed the personal info and  Emotional Adaptation to Relationship Dissolution Assessment (EARDA) scale at the start of their journey and then never returned to the app.	25% of total downloads	No. The recorded bounce rate of 79.62% indicates a high dropout rate at the onboarding stage. However, this figure only reflects users failing to complete the onboarding process initially and does not account for users who may return later to complete the process. OnePlusOne are actively seeking to improve the user journey and decrease the number of users failing to complete the registration process.
Most popular videos – The videos with the highest views. (A view is determined by the user getting at least 30 seconds into the content.)	1000 views	Partially. Although 866 users watched the animated explainer videos, of the 20 videos produced, these ranged from 63 to 4 views each, totalling 507 views.  Feedback suggests users do not access content in a linear approach.
The number of users who have downloaded the app and got to at least 80% through the Behaviour Modelling Training (BMT) content.	Number of users viewing/completing at least 80% of the video/app/programme: 666	Partially. OnePlusOne reported only 16 users completed the videos in Q6, similar to previous quarters; but again, evaluation suggests parents use the app in a more complex way than a linear approach completing each section. As each user has their own unique circumstances, their journeys through the app will also be unique, and they will access content specific to their needs as a parent. Users valued the opportunity to dip in and out of the app and use it in short bursts. That related both to the busy nature of users’ days and to the content of the app.
Engagement with the chat functionality - the percentage of users who engage with the chat functionality and who have had their chat resolved.	75% of chats resolved each month	Partially. successfully integrated and tested the chatbot functionality, however launched at the end of the scheme and only 20 parents engaged, looking for advice on co-parenting issues, looking for advice with finances and how to better handle arguments with an ex.

Relate: Key outputs and outcomes	Target	Achieved
Database of services nationally.	Consultation with 100+ Local Authorities and all DWP Regional Integration Leads teams.	Yes. Toolkit for separated parents/carers was launched on 11 November alongside regional support search tool.
Delivery/iteration/learning reports and improvement logs.	Partnership meetings, using the  site data analysis, feedback sessions with practitioners and parents	Yes. Regular learning reports and improvement discussed internally.
Evaluation Report.	–	Yes. Complete
1000 people per month accessing the chatbot in the final quarter of the Project.	Using the site data analysis – Number of initial hits.	Partially. Relate have not been able to continue with as much promotional activity in the last 2 months due to reduced marketing department: September  RPC Page: 672 Find Your Local (FYL) service: 107 Relatebot: 200 In the Middle Bot: 132 Sounding Board Bot: 95 October RPC Page: 509 FYL: 114 Relatebot: 177 In the Middle Bot: 189 Sounding Board Bot: 166 November RPC Page: 623 FYL: 124 Relatebot: 247 In the Middle Bot: 213 Sounding Board Bot: 124
Resource ‘menu’ as part of toolkit for separated parents; from self-help to intervention delivery - implement an easy-to-use rating system embedded into the chatbot to allow users to rate the support they have received.	Measurable improvements to the quality of communication: Up to 100 per month will go on to access the self-help tools or book onto a delivery programme.   Measured over the final 12-15 months of the programme.	Partially. Relate have not been able to develop this system in the time/funding allocated, it was too ambitious for this project. However, have been able to develop a feedback tool through Typeform and have generated 65 responses from people who have used the tools. This has proved invaluable in shaping the work, alerting Relate to anything not working and enabling Relate to tweak things like the tone of the AI and the information it gives. Have set up a function that enabled people to say if they wanted to offer more feedback too and have generated 2 valuable qualitative interviews with users as a result. Relate would like to develop the ‘menu’ as part of a further ‘scaling up’ of the bots in future.
Outcome: Improvement in parenting/co-parenting via user feedback on pre/post chatbot metrics.	Measurable improvements in parenting/co-parenting scores: Data analysis through the Relate site, to provide quantitative data and monitor usage and need for promotion.	Partially. Able to measure parent wellbeing to some extent and if Relate can sustain further funding, will be able to develop the user journey to incorporate more outcome measures.
Outcome: Number of practitioners accessing database of local and national RPC support offers.	Practitioners are better equipped to talk to parents about conflict: Using website data analysis to measure this quantitatively and qualitatively.  Ask practitioners to assess how they feel on a number of metrics before they access the chatbot and again when they exit it.	Partially. Relate have feedback from 15 practitioners about their experience of using all of the Bots- with more time and funding Relate would like to potentially develop the local database offer and run focus groups/interviews with Local Authority practitioners about their needs for parents to access interventions and self-help via the Relate tool.

Race Equality Foundation: Key outputs and outcomes	Target	Achieved
Numbers of families reach that have one or more adult carer complete an in person or online Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities (SFSC) RPC programme	Number of families reached: 740	Yes. 776 parents registered for an online course.
This output relates to the numbers of individuals who complete either: - 13 weekly 3-hour group sessions in person SFSC parent relationship programme - 6-week one-hour sessions online SFSC RPC programme, with self-study	Number of families/individuals completing their programme: 108	Yes. By the end of the scheme, 133 parents/carers had signed up for an in-person course, 95 had completed and 32 had participated.
Numbers of in person group work sessions planned (117) Numbers of online individual sessions planned (4320) Numbers of online groupwork sessions planned (617) Numbers of online Parenting Agreement workshops planned (10)	Number of parent sessions conducted: 8142	Yes, but delivered in fewer sessions 117 groupwork session delivered 4554 online individual sessions planned 546 online groupwork sessions delivered 8 online parenting agreement workshops completed
Number of practitioners who have completed 42-hour training per participant from the VCSE partners we are working with for our in person delivery.	Practitioner trainings held: 8	Yes. 8 have completed 42 hours of training each.

Outcomes: - children experiencing improved wellbeing  - number of children with reduced exposure to parental conflict - number of parents reporting decreased levels of conflict in their parenting/coparenting relationship - number of families reporting improved communication between parents and children - number of parents reporting improved communication in their parenting/coparenting relationship

Number of children/families/parents reporting improved communication and reduced exposure to parental conflict in these categories

Yes. - Parental conflict: Parents in the in-person programme reported slightly higher baseline levels of conflict. Significant, small decrease in parental conflict in parents in both the in-person and online programmes - Impact of parental conflict on children: Parents in the online programme reported a higher baseline impact of conflict on their child. Improvements observed from pre and post programme, but significant differences only seen for parents in the online programmes (not the in-person programme). - Parental wellbeing: Parents in the online programme reported slightly better wellbeing at baseline compared to those in the in-person programme. Significant improvements in wellbeing in parents in both the in-person and online programmes (moderate effect size). Parents from lower household incomes in the online programme saw greater benefits than higher income households. - Child wellbeing: Improvements seen for parents in the in-person programme but was not a significant difference. Did not ask for online parents. - Parent-child interactions and relationships: Significant improvements in positive parent-child interactions and quality of relationships in the in-person group. Did not ask for online parents.

Herefordshire Vennture: Key outputs and outcomes	Target	Achieved?
Families completing the Vennture Personal mentoring programme	Number of families/individuals completing their programme: 100	Yes. 104 parents (64 families with 131 children) engaged with mentoring. So far, 68 parents (41 families with 89) have completed the full mentoring programme with 19 parents (13 families) having on-going support through a small amount of local continuation funding. Hereford Vennture believe all of these families will complete mentoring. See table
Teachers engaging in school roll-out plan to raise awareness of parental conflict and its impact on class and school behaviour	Number of practitioners reached: 120	Yes. 238 practitioners have been trained and report a better understanding of parental conflict: - 219 Teachers - 19 Teaching assistants
The number of individual one-to-one mentoring sessions conducted with individual parents.	Number of parent sessions onducted: 1800 This target is based on each of 100 families completing 18 sessions with their Link worker = 1,800 over the period of the initiative	Partially. 1,164 mentoring sessions have been held, an average of 21.7 sessions per completed family.
The number of core processes developed, tested and documented to support the roll-out of the model in other areas	The number of core processes developed, tested and documented to support the roll-out of the model in other areas: 12	Complete. 1.Engaging with rural schools 2.Raising Awareness of Reducing Parental Conflict in School 3.Training Link Workers in mentoring families who are experiencing parental conflict 4. Separated family’s mentoring journey (visual) 5. Getting To Know You – with domestic abuse screening 6. Journey Mapping 7.Thring scale and Impactasaurus 8.Using Scaling Statements to understand next steps and barriers 9.Using the voice of the child to support parents reflect on impact of conflict 10.Using Protective Behaviours tools in reducing parental conflict 11. De-escalating Communication toolkit 12. Developing a Care Kit
Creation of a Teacher Engagement tool specific to the programme incorporating learnings about teacher perceptions, insights and understandings – including a ‘get help’ pathway so parents can engage parents early in prevention support and guidance to teachers about talking through parental conflict with parents.	The production of 1 physical guide	Partially complete. Herefordshire Vennture are in process of creating this guide based on synthesising the learning from this report, feedback from Rose Regeneration’s report and the output from the visual facilitator.

Table – Families completing the Vennture Personal mentoring programme

Families reporting	Number	Percentage of completed families (excludes those which did not complete)	Percentage of mentored families
Children displaying improved behaviour	68	74% 29/39	56.8% 29/51
Children experiencing improved wellbeing	65	76% 28/37	54.9% 28/51
Children reporting less anxiety/worry	72	80% 31/39	60.7% 31/51
Reduced exposure of parental conflict	71	82% 31/38	52.9% 27/51
Improved communication between parents and children	45	94%** 29/31	56.8% 29/51
Improved communication in parenting/co-parenting relationship	44	76% 27/36	52.9% 27/51
Parents reporting improved wellbeing	41	82% 31/38	60.7% 31/51

** Fewer parents said this was a problem

Intercom Trust: Key outputs and outcomes	Target	Achieved?
Number of Family Pride Events.These will be fun and social events, facilitated by our Family Practitioners with the support of volunteers to engage with LGBT+ families and enhance social connections and identity pride.	Number of family sessions conducted: 30 Family Pride Events	Yes. (45 events held).
Family Pride Event Engagement: number of families we manage to reach through these events. Support and Mediation services: number of families engaged	Number of families reached: 100 total	Yes. 120 families have attended family pride events 65 families have been assessed for support and mediation 173 families have engaged with support and mediation and/or family pride events in total
Family Practitioner Support and Mediation: provision of parent support sessions to improve relationships / reduce conflict	Number of family sessions conducted: 100	Yes.  361 support and mediation sessions have taken place.
Family Practitioner Support and Mediation: provision of child support sessions to reduce impact of conflict (especially focused on self-blame for conflict)	Number of child sessions conducted: 120 Support and Mediation Sessions	Yes.  361 support and mediation sessions have taken place.
Family Practitioner Support and Mediation: provision of parent support sessions to improve relationships / reduce conflict	Number of parent sessions conducted: 100 Support and Mediation Sessions	Yes.  361 support and mediation sessions have taken place.
Parent Groupwork Support Programme: Deliver 4 groupwork programmes	Number of parent sessions conducted: 28 Groupwork Programme Sessions	Partially. Alternate set of 8 online parent sessions developed. 2 rounds of 8 sessions offered, and 14 sessions in total delivered.
Parent Groupwork Support Programme: Number of families/individuals completing the Programme Support and Mediation service: Number of families/individuals who complete with agreed ending	Number of families/individuals completing their programme: 70 Families	Partially. 22 parents from 20 families have attended at least one online parent session. 40 families have completed support and mediation work, making the total 60 families to complete this support.
Number of Couples Counselling Sessions	Number of parent sessions conducted: 100 Counselling sessions	Partially. 11 counselling sessions delivered in total.
Child wellbeing: we believe more than 100 children within LGBT+ Families will experience improved wellbeing as a result of our support. In particular, this may include a sense of reduced minority stress, improved overall mood and wellbeing.	Number of children experiencing improved wellbeing: 100	Partially. From Intercom’s feedback, 77.8% of parents reported an improvement in child wellbeing from either attending family pride events, receiving family practitioner support, and/or attending parent groups. If this can be extrapolated to all the families who have engaged with the service, then over 100 children will be experiencing improved wellbeing.
Parent wellbeing: we aim that more than 120 parents within LGBT+ Families report improved wellbeing as a result of our support.  In particular, this may include a sense of reduced minority stress, improved overall mood and wellbeing.	Number of parents reporting improved wellbeing: 120	Partially. From Intercom’s feedback, 94.4% of parents reported an improvement in their own wellbeing from either attending family pride events, receiving family practitioner support, and/or attending parent groups. If this can be extrapolated to all the families who have engaged with the service, then over 120 parents will be experiencing improved wellbeing.
Decreased levels of conflict between parents: we aim to support more than 80 parents within LGBT+ Families will experience decreased levels of inter-parental conflict.	Number of parents reporting decreased levels of conflict in their parenting/coparenting relationship: 80	Partially. From Intercom’s feedback, 47.1% of parents reported an improvement in family relationships from either attending family pride events, receiving family practitioner support, and/or attending parent groups. If this can be extrapolated to all the families who have engaged with the service, then over 80 parents will be experiencing an improvement in family relationships.
Additional output: guide resource for parents of LGBT+ young people.	Resource for parents of LGBT+ young people, which includes two chapters on reducing parental conflict.	Complete.

The Write Time: Key outputs and outcomes	Target	Achieved?
Families engaged through partner referrals or marketing, and who complete our programme induction	Number of families reached: 200	Yes. 202 people and families, of which 163 took part in the programme.
12 hours mentoring completed, 4 activities achieved	Number of families/individuals completing their programme: 155, 68% complete an accreditation	Partially. Of the 2 cohorts that participated in this quarter (60 people total), all (100%) fully completed the course. To date, this equals to 163 taking part in Take Charge and 154 fully completing (94.5%). Of these, 49 people achieved a qualification (32%) (22 started but did not complete).
Mentoring, Coffee mornings, counselling sessions, family activities, employment Information Advice and Guidance (IAG), accredited courses, greater understanding of their rights as a parent of a SEND child, IAG with childcare	Number of parent sessions conducted: 120	Yes. Activities, held 2-4 times per week, offered a diverse range of engagement opportunities. These included: - OT - Wellbeing - Independent living activities - Family activities (Sports and recreation) - Accreditations - Employability activities - Advice and Guidance (EHCPs, DLA forms, etc) Coffee mornings remained a key platform for community engagement. In Q6, The Write Time delivered a successful 10-week trial course with a small cohort of people to test implementations following participants’ feedback with regards to the duration of the course.
Mentoring sessions, animal and art therapy, counselling	Number of child sessions conducted: 50	Yes. The 53 children at The Write Time continue with fortnightly sessions, including the children of the 8 parents that joined this quarter. This is 24 children whose parents attended the course (total sessions approximately 117 for the 6 The Write Time young people who completed, 50 completed by the Forestdale children and approximately 48 to date completed by the latest 8 children engaged at The Write Time – totalling 215 sessions).
Outcome: Decreased levels of parental conflict	Number of parents reporting decreased levels of conflict in their couple relationship: 130	Yes. 56% of participants who completed the programme reported lower conflict in the house through the O’Leary questionnaire while 70% reported less stress – indicating reduced conflict and improved communication with their child and partner. Of the remaining, only 14% reported higher conflict and 21% reported increased stress levels. Reasons behind this number are several and include a change of circumstances in their life, escalation of situations with their partners, more awareness of conflict.

Coram: Key outputs and outcomes	Target	Achieved?
10 sessions of creative therapy for 45 families	Number of families reached: 45	Partially: 65 families referred. 23 did not join the groups, attrition rate of 17 and 25 completed the intervention.
Online delivery of training to professionals	Practitioner trainings held: 100	Yes. Very well received training to 139 professionals attended from Blackpool, Bromley, Camden, City of London, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Hammersmith & Fulham, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Medway, Merton, Plymouth, Rhonda Cynon Taf, Tower Hamlets, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Waltham Forest and Westminster. 105 online and 34 in person.
Creation of web tools, information and guidance resources for families	5 tools and information resources produced	Yes. Information resources included in the tool kit. Now on Coram Website and to be launched by press release with the evaluation late January.
100 families view tools on Coram website	Number of families reached: 100	Yes. On Coram website from 19th December with google analytics showing to date: - 102 views and 81 users on the toolkit resource page - 79 downloads of the PDF We expect this to increase after the press coverage with evaluation launch in late January 2025 and article placed in Children and Young People Now on the toolkit for publication in February 2025 and will continue to give support and advice to users of the toolkit.
Numbers of parents reporting decreased levels of conflict in their parenting/co-parenting relationship, in collaboration with evaluation lead to assess via Score 15 index of family functioning and change, Parenting Alliance Measure, and Goal Based Outcome Measure.	Number of parents reporting decreased levels of conflict in their parenting/co-parenting relationship: 70 (75% of families reached)	Partially. Parents did not engage with the full range of initial measures used. The team trialled sending the forms home for the families to complete but this was unsuccessful.  The measures that were found most useful for parents and effective in capturing their goals and progress were the Goal Based Outcome Measures. Goal based outcomes with 2 goals pre-decided for the whole cohort were revised from parents feedback (1 – to improve communication within the family, 2 – to strengthen relationships within the family) and 1 optional goal that the families could choose for themselves. Different methods were also tried for recording the responses of the children and young people in the cohorts, including Goal Based Outcomes for those over 8 years old, allowing the children to provide creative responses, such as drawings and using smiley / sad face tokens.
Number of practitioners who report feeling better equipped to support parents experiencing conflict, via workshop questionnaires	Number of practitioners who report feeling better equipped to talk to parents about conflict: 80	Yes. - 87% of attendees who completed the feedback said they feel more informed about parental conflict and its potential impact on children - 80% of attendees who completed the feedback said they feel more equipped to support families experiencing parental conflict - 85% of attendees who completed the feedback said they feel more equipped to include creative activities when supporting families going forward - 96% of attendees who completed the feedback said they would recommend this training/workshop to a friend or colleague - 72 clinicians who attended the training have requested an alert once the toolkit is live on the website so that they can download it.

Youth Engagement Solutions: Key outputs and outcomes	Target	Achieved?
Workshops held for parents on topics detailed in the delivery plan	Number of parent sessions conducted: 100	Yes. 149 workshops delivered in total, in person and online. This includes individual and group workshops. Some workshops have been delivered to individuals during one-to-one coaching sessions. Delivery has now ended
Individual parents/carers who have started and describe themselves as having completed the programme i.e. they have an action plan for improved management of conflict which they are using.	Number of families/individuals completing their programme: 120	Partially. 62 participants have completed the full 6-week programme by either attending one-to-one sessions or group workshops. 98 Participants have engaged in at least one project activity. 109 participants have been assessed and have conflict action management plan in place

1. Reducing Parental Conflict  ↩

2. RPC Leads are staff seconded to the RPC Programme Team at DWP from local authorities. Their role is to advise and support LAs and their partners to maximise the opportunities presented by the RPC programme. ↩