Today (3rd December) Foundations launched a new guide urging councils to expand parenting support to help families under stress and prevent teenagers from entering care.
In England, almost two-thirds of children in care are aged 10 or over – a shift that underlines growing concern for older children’s welfare.
With this in mind, a new guide from Foundations, the national What Works centre for Children and Families, urges local authorities to embed evidence-based parenting support for families of teenagers facing adversity.
Commissioned by the Department for Education, the guide draws on a systematic review of parenting support programmes from 11- to 18-year-olds. It warns that overlapping challenges, from parental stress to adolescent behaviour, often increase the risk of children being taken into care.
To tackle this, the guide recommends: improved parenting practices for teens at risk, support for parental stress, early action on low mood or social withdrawal, evidence-based family therapy for challenging behaviour, and mental health support for parents already involved with children’s social care.
Dr Jo Casebourne, chief executive of Foundations, said: ‘Parenting support is not just about helping parents – it’s about strengthening families.
‘We know that the number of children and young people being referred to the care system is rising, with teenagers disproportionately represented among children in care. Practice guides equip local leaders and practitioners with proven evidence-based strategies to help families overcome adversity and stay together safely, based on what we know works.’
She added that the guide ‘fills a critical gap in our understanding of how parenting support can strengthen families with teenagers. It shows that when families facing adversity receive this sort support, we can prevent harm, reduce risks and help to provide young people with the stability they need during their crucial teenage years.’
Emma Ford, programme director at the North West Multi Agency Learning and Support Hub, said that for parenting support to succeed, ‘practitioners must remain open and curious.” She welcomed the guide’s emphasis on tailoring the intensity and frequency of interventions to each family’s needs.’
Christine Thursfield, group manager of family hubs at Telford and Wrekin Council, stressed that ‘all behaviour means something – it is a form of communication from the child or young person.’ She said the guide promotes work that understands family dynamics rather than simply managing behaviour.
Image: Meg Jenson/UnSplash
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