You and Your Child
You and Your Child
What can we learn from parents’ experience of our home visiting family support project
Wendy Fields
This summary reflects learning from the You and Your Child (Y&YC) family support approach, drawing on collaborative action research research (2012) alongside programme data collected from 2013 onwards. The project was developed through close collaboration between parents and practitioners, learning together about what works best for families. This reflects a process of collaborative action research, where practice and learning evolve alongside one another.
Project Summary and Overview
You and Your Child is a home-visiting family support project designed to reach families experiencing multiple and complex challenges. It offers personalised, relationship-based support delivered through a multi-agency team, working in partnership with parents to improve outcomes for both children and families.
Families supported through the project often face a combination of challenges, including parenting confidence, behaviour management, mental health and emotional wellbeing, financial stress and housing instability, as well as concerns about child development such as speech and language delay. Many also experience isolation and limited access to support networks.
Our Approach
The project is grounded in the Family Partnership Model, a strengths-based and evidence-informed approach that places the parent at the centre of the work. Practitioners focus on listening carefully, valuing parents’ knowledge of their own lives, and working collaboratively to set goals that feel realistic and meaningful.
Rather than offering prescriptive advice, practitioners work alongside families to explore their experiences and identify practical changes together. A core aim is to build self-efficacy, supporting parents to feel more confident and able to manage their family life independently over time, rather than becoming reliant on services.
What Families Told Us
Parents’ experiences highlight what makes the project effective. A consistent theme is the importance of feeling listened to without judgement. Many parents described how practitioners took time to understand their situation and worked at a pace that felt comfortable, creating a safe space to talk about complex or sensitive issues. This was key to building trust.
As trust developed, parents reported a noticeable increase in confidence and self-belief. Several described a shift from feeling overwhelmed to feeling more in control of their lives. This growing confidence often led to wider changes, including improvements in family relationships and day-to-day life at home. Parents spoke about reduced conflict, calmer routines, and stronger connections with their children.
The project also helped families access wider support. Through relationships with practitioners, parents felt more able to navigate services, join community groups, and seek help when needed. This reduced feelings of isolation and helped build a stronger sense of connection.
At the heart of all of this was the relationship between parent and practitioner. Feeling valued and understood enabled parents to reflect on their experiences, try new approaches, and make changes that lasted beyond the period of support.
Data and Impact (Years 1–3)
Over its first three years, the project demonstrated steady growth in reach, engagement and impact. Referral numbers remained consistently high, with over 130 referrals each year from a wide range of agencies. Across this period, the project supported close to 1,000 individuals, indicating both strong demand and sustained engagement.
Improving parental confidence emerged as a central outcome. Across all years, families reported increased self-esteem, greater ability to manage family life, and stronger engagement with services. Feedback consistently showed that when parents felt listened to and supported, confidence increased and isolation reduced.
There were also clear improvements in outcomes for children and families. Parents reported better behaviour in children, stronger parent–child relationships, and more stable routines. In some cases, families were able to step down from statutory services, suggesting reduced risk and increased resilience following early intervention.
Work on parenting skills supported meaningful behaviour change. Parents grew in confidence in managing behaviour, communicating and playing with their children, and establishing routines. Many described lasting changes in both their own approach and their children’s behaviour.
A particular strength of the model has been the integration of speech and language support. Across the three years, large numbers of children and families accessed targeted intervention, both through home visiting and group provision. Parents consistently reported increased confidence in supporting their child’s communication, while earlier identification of need led to children being referred at younger ages and receiving support sooner. Improvements were seen in children’s communication, interaction and engagement.
The project has also strengthened community connections and partnerships. Relationships have been built with over 20 referring organisations, with new partners joining each year. This has improved coordination of support and contributed to wider community outcomes, including increased volunteering, pathways into employment, and the development of initiatives such as a Baby Bank.
Key Learning from Three Years of Data
Across the data, several consistent messages emerge. The project is effective in reaching families who are often isolated and experiencing multiple layers of disadvantage. Confidence stands out as a key mechanism for change, with improvements in parental confidence leading directly to better outcomes for children.
The home-visiting, relationship-based model supports sustained engagement, particularly for families who may not access other services. Integrated support, combining family support, speech and language input, and parenting programmes, appears especially effective. Overall, the evidence suggests that early intervention of this kind reduces the need for more intensive statutory or crisis services.
What We Have Learned
The learning from this work reinforces the importance of relationships as the foundation for change. Families are far more likely to engage when they feel respected, listened to and understood.
It also highlights the need for holistic and flexible support. Families rarely experience challenges in isolation, so approaches that address multiple aspects of family life simultaneously are more effective.
Confidence emerges as a central driver of change. As parents feel more capable, they are better able to make decisions, manage challenges and support their child’s development. This in turn leads to more stable and positive family environments.
The project also demonstrates the impact of early intervention. Engaging families earlier leads to improved developmental outcomes, reduced reliance on statutory services, and greater long-term stability.
Finally, the process of co-learning and reflection has been essential. Ongoing action research with practitioners has strengthened service quality, deepened understanding of family needs, and supported staff to work more effectively.
Summary
You and Your Child is a highly effective early intervention model that reaches families who might otherwise not engage with support. By building strong relationships and working in partnership with parents, it helps develop confidence, resilience and independence. This leads to improved outcomes for children, stronger family relationships, and reduced pressure on statutory services.
By combining evidence-informed practice, integrated support and strong partnerships, the project demonstrates how personalised, relationship-based approaches can deliver meaningful and lasting impact for families and communities