Over the past five years, Claire Field and Kam Kaur, founders of the Parenting Apart Programme, have made remarkable progress in developing an evidence-based intervention to support parents undergoing divorce and separation. Their small organisation is making significant strides towards improving outcomes for children and families, especially since they have been offering the support online, making it more accessible to parents.
The Parenting Apart Programme was created in response to the limited support available for parents experiencing conflict or struggling to communicate during separation, beyond traditional mediation. Claire Field and Kam Kaur identified a critical gap in the support services offered to families and sought to address this by developing an evidence-based intervention that not only brings positive change to families but also offers cost savings for public sector services by improving mental health for children and families.
What the Programme Does:
Parenting Apart Programme: A Therapeutic Approach
The Parenting Apart Programme (PAP) is a semi-structured, therapeutic intervention designed specifically for separating parents. It aims to move beyond the adversarial nature of court proceedings, focusing instead on improving the emotional well-being of children affected by divorce or separation. By emphasising communication and cooperation post-separation, the programme directly addresses the primary concern that children’s voices are often lost amid parental conflict.
Programme Structure and Impact
PAP operates under the belief that the ongoing conflict and poor communication during and after separation are detrimental to children’s well-being. Through a series of individual and joint meetings with parent, the programme helps parents understand the importance of maintaining a cooperative parenting relationship for their children’s sake. These sessions are designed to change mindsets, establish a new parenting relationship, and ultimately result in a working agreement between parents. This approach not only support in reducing conflict but also promotes a healthier environment for the child’s development.
The Voice of the Child
A pivotal aspect of PAP is its focus on bringing the child’s voice into the conversation, which ensures that children’s needs, wishes, and concerns are central to the parents’ discussions and decisions. This practice helps in reorienting parents towards their shared goal of ensuring the well-being of their children, thereby mitigating the adverse effects of their conflict.
Key Achievements:
- Accreditation and Training: The programme has achieved accreditation through AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group Aim and has trained over 150 practitioners across three local authorities: Warwickshire, Hillingdon, and North Yorkshire. These local authorities are now adopting this model of practice and offering it as an early intervention service to parents in need.
- Evidence-Based Intervention: The intervention is rooted in evidence-based practices, ensuring that parents receive the highest quality support during a challenging period in their lives.
- Online Support: The programme offers online sessions, making it accessible to parents regardless of their location. This flexibility ensures that more parents can benefit from the intervention without the barriers of travel or scheduling conflicts.
- Public Sector Impact: By improving the mental health of children and families, the programme helps reduce the strain on public sector services, demonstrating significant cost savings and improved outcomes for the community.
- Alternative to Court: The Parenting Apart Programme offers a compassionate and effective alternative to the adversarial process of going through the Court System, which can often exacerbate conflicts and stress among separating parents.
- Social Impact Reports: Two social impact reports compiled in 2019 and 2021 on the intervention have started to demonstrate the positive impact on children when parents work together. These reports highlighted that the intervention should have been offered earlier and not as a last resort. They also demonstrated a return on investment for public sector services of over £10 million, as it reduced the need for parents and children to access public sector services, such as mental health, court, and children services.
Recently, the Parenting Apart Programme has secured additional funding through Innovate UK Business Growth to further validate their work. The Child Outcomes Research Consortium (CORC) at the Anna Freud Centre will undertake research to evaluate the impact of the training on practitioners and how it has enhanced their knowledge and skills in addressing parental conflict.
Claire Field, Co-Founder of Parenting Apart Programme, stated: “We are delighted to see the positive impact our programme is having on families and the public sector. With the support from Innovate UK Business Growth and our partnership with the Child Outcomes Research Consortium, we are confident that we can continue to make a difference in the lives of parents and children across the UK.”
Kam Kaur, Co-Founder of Parenting Apart Programme, added: “Our mission is to provide effective support for parents during one of the most challenging times in their lives. By equipping practitioners with the right tools and knowledge, we are fostering better communication and reducing conflict, ultimately leading to healthier family dynamics.”
Awards and Recognition:
- Winners of the Family Justice Award 2021
- Finalist of Workforce Development and Family Support Awards 2022
- Finalist for the Nick Crichton Award for Family Justice
- Finalist of the Family Justice Award 2019
- Finalist of Family Law Innovation Award in 2022
- Finalist of Family Law Community Interaction Award in 2022
“We are delighted to be added to the map as an innovative project and honoured to be nominated for various awards, such as the Centre of Innovation of Justice, which promotes the best of Britain’s innovative justice practice,” said Claire Field and Kam Kaur.
The Parenting Apart Programme is a testament to the power of innovative thinking and collaborative efforts in addressing complex social issues. Claire Field and Kam Kaur’s dedication and hard work are paving the way for a brighter future for families undergoing separation and divorce.
