This document provides an overview of the Family Links Nurturing Programme (FLNP), which aims to promote family wellbeing and a healthy society by targeting the root causes of poor emotional health and breaking the cycle of ineffective parenting. The FLNP is a 10-week group program led by two trained facilitators using a workbook, CD and DVD. It is based on improving parents' self-esteem, expectations of children, discipline skills, and empathy using structured experiential learning. Evaluations found improvements in parental wellbeing, children's behavior, and family relationships. The FLNP is designed to be universally available to support diverse families.

1. Evidence Based Parenting, Social
Inclusion and the Nurturing
Programme
Sarah Darton MA BSc DipHV RGN
Director Parent Programmes
© Family Links 2012

2. Workbreak Alphabet Arms
A B C D E F G H I
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J K L M N O P Q R
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S T U V W X Y Z
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3. The Family Links
Nurturing Programme (FLNP)
Aims to promote family wellbeing and a
healthy society by:
√ targeting the root causes of poor
emotional health;
√ breaking the cycle of ineffective,
neglectful or abusive parenting
© Family Links 2009 3

4. The Nurturing Programme is
effective because:
It’s a carefully designed eclectic model combining
affective, cognitive and behavioural
approaches with the affective principles at its
core.
A therapeutic learning model
© Family Links 2009 4

5. Theoretical Model
of the Nurturing Problem Programme Theory
Programme
Nurture parents’
Relationship empathetic insight into the
between poor emotional determinants of
parental wellbeing their own behaviour and
and quality of meeting their own needs
parenting
Four constructs of
positive parenting:
• self-esteem and
Intergenerational self-awareness
transfer of poor • appropriate expectations
parenting practices • positive discipline
• empathy
Impact of Help parents draw on their
poor parent-child experiences as children
relationships on to reflect on their
children’s: relationships with their
• physical health
children and empower them
• mental health
to make changes
• education
• social competence
• employability Meet all learning styles
• nervous system through structured
experiential learning

6. Proximal
Programme Design Future Outcomes
Outcomes
10 weekly, 2 hour sessions in
groups of 6-10 parents
Improve Reduced mental
parents’ mental health problems in
2 trained wellbeing parents and children
Parent Group Leaders
Parenting Puzzle Book,
CD, and DVD
Improve children’s
Improve long-term
children’s
Provide parents with tools to: educational and work
behaviour prospects
• develop communication and
relationship skills
• encourage cooperative,
responsible behaviours
• manage challenging Disrupt
behaviours in a positive way Improve family inter-generational
• enhance relationship and relationships cycles of poor
nurturing skills
parenting, violence,
• build confidence and empathy
and social inequity

7. The Nurturing Programme is based on
4 Constructs, essential to successful family
relationships
The Parenting Puzzle p. 18
© Family Links 2010 7

8. Developing the evidence base
 Independent RCT in Wales 2011-
‘compatible with cost-effectiveness of the
FLNP offered on a universal basis to
improve wellbeing and parenting in
deprived areas’.
 Internal evaluation 2011- parental
wellbeing improved on average from scores
better than 18% of the population to scores
better than 45% of the population, children
improved on average from borderline risk of
mental health disorder to normal child
behaviour.
© Family Links 2012 8

9. Making Sense of Early Intervention
Centre for Social Justice 2011
 “Evidence on effectiveness,
appropriateness and feasibility
provides a sounder base for
evaluating healthcare interventions,
in that it acknowledges the many
factors that can have an impact on
success” p10
© Family Links 2012 9

10. Evaluation of Training
 Independent evaluation 257
trainees - rated the Nurturing
Programme training very highly
80.1% rated it 10 out of 10. The
average for all participants was
9.7.
 Just under three-quarters (72.1%)
of trainees expected to run a
Nurturing Programme course in the
next six months
© Family Links 2011 10

11. The Nurturing Programme and the
Professional/Personal elements
The Nurturing Programme is designed to:
 promote emotional and mental health and
wellbeing
 enhance relationship and nurturing skills
 build self-esteem and confidence
 encourage positive approaches to
behaviour management
 build empathy
in Parents and Practitioners
© Family Links 2009 11

12. A truly Universal Programme
The Nurturing Programme is designed for both INTERVENTION
and PREVENTION and is therefore valuable for all families.
A truly universal programme, it is socially inclusive with
resources to support work with parents in a wide variety of
circumstances
Parents with:
Children with Learning Muslim parents
disabilities disabilities
Teenage parents
0-3 yr olds English as a
Prisoners
second
3-12 yr olds language Online with
teenagers Netmums
© Family Links 2011 12

13. Universal provision in areas of
geographical deprivation reduces sense
of being judged, targeted failure
Trained Practitioners - Areas of Deprivation
60
Number of Practitioners
50
40
30
20
10
0
0-9% 10- 20- 30- 40- 50- 60- 70- 80- 90-
19% 29% 39% 49% 59% 69% 79% 89% 100%
Deprivation by %
© Family Links 2011 13

14. Nurturing Programme
foster parent feedback
“A couple who have completed their OCN
portfolios have attended a court hearing and
are now in a position to receive their 4
children back home. The next stage was
going to be adoption for the children, but the
FLNP OCN results achieved by the parents
was used as evidence and made a huge
impact. … many parents undertake various
parenting programmes and they merely act
as a temporary fix, but FL has made a lasting
impact on their attitudes and behaviour and
this was recognised by the professionals
involved in their court hearing.”
Barnardos Hartbeat PGL in Hartlepool
working with parents with children in care
© Family Links 2011 14

15. Contact Details
Peterley House
Peterley Road
Horspath Industrial Estate
Oxford OX4 2TZ
Tel: 01865 401800
Fax: 01865 401820
Email: info@familylinks.org.uk
www.familylinks.org.uk
© Family Links 2009 15