INTERNATIONAL parenting programme Triple P has been commissioned by NHS England to deliver Triple P for Baby training to all 75 Family Hubs & Start for Life areas as part of their focus on strengthening perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationships.
This announcement means thousands of parents visiting new Hubs will have access to much needed support in their child’s first twelve months; support which is backed by over 14 years of research and proven to help parents raise happier and more resilient children.
Triple P for Baby is an evidence-based programme designed to support parents at the transition to parenthood or with a baby of up to 12 months of age. Triple P for Baby aims to; increase positive parenting skills to promote sensitive and responsive care and secure attachment, reduce parent and infant distress, improve partner and social support to increase overall family well-being, and increase parental coping resources to reduce the risk of mental health problems developing.
Triple P for Baby provides a suite of strategies and resources designed to help parents develop a strong parent-infant relationship, and to learn about their babies’ physical and emotional development.
The programme can be offered in a group format or individually and face-to-face or remotely, with a trained practitioner.
The Triple P for Baby programme focuses on five key areas of parenting:
- Creating a safe engaging and nurturing environment
- A positive learning environment
- A predictable environment
- Having realistic expectations
- Taking care of oneself as a parent and as a couple
The first 12 months of a child’s life are crucial to their emotional and physical development, yet parents can find this time and the transition to parenthood overwhelming. Research conducted by Triple P found that three quarters of parents feel that there is a stigma attached to asking for help, and consequently many don’t get the support they need.
The funding from NHS England will support 680 practitioners to become trained and accredited to deliver the Triple P for Baby programme as part of the Family Hubs & Start for LIfe offer in their local area. In turn parents will be able to access Triple P for Baby by contacting their local Family Hubs.
Matt Buttery, CEO of Triple P UK and Ireland said:
‘We are incredibly excited to be delivering Triple P for Baby training to practitioners across 75 local authorities, in partnership with the Department of Health & Social Care and NHS England. The transition to parenthood and the first year of a child’s life is so important. The Government has recognised this with its Family Hubs and Start for Life funding, and we are Triple P are proud to be playing our part in supporting families from across England.
Parenting courses such as Triple P are proven to help increase parental confidence and family relationships. Delivering this course for parents of babies will help to make parenting programmes the norm in all 75 Family Hub areas.
At a time when parents are already struggling with stresses around the cost of living, we need to expand the support available to them. We would encourage parents who are expecting, or in their first year of parenthood, to check out the programme to get non-judgmental, evidence-based parenting advice.’
Triple P have been awarded funding by NHS England following a competitive tender process.
