Investigating changes in use of services by high-need families following the Helping Families Programme, an innovative parenting intervention for children with severe and persistent conduct problems

Abstract

Background: Interventions aimed at high-need families have difficulty demonstrating short-term impact on child behaviour. Measuring impact on use of services could provide short-term indication of longer term benefits.

Method: During a feasibility pilot study we collected data on service use and attitudes to services from a small sample of parents from high-need families, before and after receiving the Helping Families Programme.

Results: Respondents provided a range of opinions on a variety of social and community services received.

Conclusions: The study demonstrates the potential of short-term changes in enhanced service use data for building hypotheses of longer term change.

Keywords: Evaluation; conduct disorder; parenting; prevention; school.