Triple P (Positive Parenting Programme) launches Family Transitions Online to help families experiencing distress from separation which may be impacting their parenting
Leading international parenting programme provider Triple P has announced the launch of Family Transitions Online, a parent self-directed web-based parenting programme specifically designed to help families experiencing personal distress from separation or divorce which may be impacting their parenting.
Triple P is the biggest global parenting programme, with substantive delivery in 31 countries. Family Transitions Triple P has been widely available in the UK as a practitioner-delivered programme to parents for more than ten years.
The UK launch of Family Transitions Online represents the first time the programme has been available in a self-directed digital format anywhere in the world. The launch of Family Transitions Online gives parents greater choice in how they access the content of the programme to suit their schedule and circumstances.
Family Transitions Online involves five modules with videos and interactive activities that parents complete independently, in their own time and at their own pace, from a computer, tablet or smartphone.
Family Transitions Online provides parents who may be concerned their divorce is upsetting their children with strategies to talk to them about separation and teaching them ways to cope. Each module provides opportunities to equip parents with the skills to successfully transition through separation. The modules include:
A recent evaluation of the Department for Work and Pensions Reducing Parental Conflict programme showed Family Transitions Triple P is reported to have long-term, positive impacts on children’s mental health and wellbeing. Children whose parents had completed the programme showed significant improvements in child emotional and behavioural challenges, including reductions in emotional problems, hyperactivity and peer problems. Family Transitions also achieved some of the largest effect sizes while being the cheapest programme to set up and deliver, according to The Early Intervention Foundation guidebook.
Patrick Myers, formerly Senior Ambassador for the Reducing Parental Conflict Programme, said:
“The Government has made excellent progress in changing children’s experiences through its Reducing Parental Conflict programme. I’m delighted to see Family Transitions Triple P being made available online, particularly given its strong evidence base. This is an opportunity for the Department of Work and Pensions to work with Triple P to ensure that every parent has access to support from parenting programmes, whatever their circumstances.”
Recent Office for National Statistics data shows there were more than 80,000 divorces in England and Wales in 2022. How separation impacts families remains an issue, with a recent report from Nuffield Family Justice Observation confirming that separate families in England and Wales report high levels of emotional distress, with the family court process being particularly distressing. The Ministry of Justice has previously published a paper on the importance of helping parents resolve disagreements as quickly as possible and how technology and online processes can be used more. This includes co-parenting programmes delivered through the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.
Helen Adam is family mediator and Chair of the Family Solutions Group, which was set up by Mr Justice Cobb to make recommendations for the needs of separating families outside of any court application. She said
“It’s important that children’s needs are placed at the heart of any legal process following separation. Children need parents to manage co-parenting well from different homes; this is easy to say and much harder to do following separation, and the availability of Family Transitions Online will provide an invaluable resource to many parents. Family separation support programmes can and should play a much closer role alongside the legal system. I urge the Ministry of Justice to provide ‘Family Aid’ to those who separate, so as well as the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme, there is funding to include evidence-based separated parenting programmes, like Triple P Family Transitions Online.”
Matt Buttery, CEO of Triple P UK & Ireland, said:
“Parental distress and conflict associated with divorce or separation can be disruptive to the family eco-system, affecting the quality of family relationships, parenting, and parent-child attachment. The launch of Family Transitions Online is an important step towards ensuring families have support that is not only evidence-backed, but easily available whenever and wherever a parent needs to access it.
Triple P’s own polling shows that 75% of parents in the UK still feel there is stigma attached to asking for professional help. Access to evidence-based online parenting programmes helps break down the barriers associated with seeking support. We’re looking forward to supporting more parents with evidence-based strategies and, while the MOJ and DWP are already doing some great work in this area, hope that more funding will be committed to the rollout of evidence-based programmes to support families.”