CEO Triple P UK
To achieve a meaningful, population-level change in family resilience and functioning, and in children’s emotional and behavioural outcomes, a population health approach to parenting support is essential. The Triple P system is consistent with the principle of proportionate universalism, where every family gets some degree of support, and those most in need get the most help. It can be delivered from universal access points including community health services, schools, early-years settings, the voluntary sector and local government service providers.
A population-level approach involves offering parenting information and support to every family in a community, allowing families to choose their level of support, as well as creating social contagion, to produce change at a whole-of-population level.
Taking a community-wide approach to parenting support can be achieved in different ways depending on the needs of the community. It can be adopted across a large region or as a starting point within a single organisation. A Triple P Implementation Consultant (IC) can work with local stakeholders to develop a community-based approach to implementing Triple P.
Within the community-wide approach, Triple P Online has an important role to play both as an intervention in its own right and to reduce waiting lists for existing services. The web-based programme should be considered by organisations and governments interested in a community-wide approach as a pathway from lighter interventions to more intensive levels of support.
In Ireland, the Midlands Area Parenting Partnership rolled out Triple P across the entire community of Longford Westmeath. Even though not every family took part, the social contagion effect spread the benefits across the community.
Triple P has been highlighted by the Centre for Mental Health and been given strong evidence ratings by the Early Intervention Foundation, with Triple P Online also rated low-cost to implement.
Cited in NICE Guidance and Department for Education advice, Triple P had the greatest programme reach under the national Parenting Early Intervention Programme (PEIP). The evaluation found that, of the four programmes evaluated, “For parent mental well-being and parenting laxness, SFP 10–14 was less effective than Triple P…For parenting over-reactivity both SFP 10–14 and Incredible Years were less effective than Triple P…[and] Triple P was significantly better than the other three programmes at reducing reported child conduct problems”.
For the latest overview of the extensive Triple P evidence base (covering more than four decades of ongoing research around the world), please contact our team.