The evaluation and development of training helps to answer the many questions about the value and impact of training for parenting practitioners.  

A great deal of central and local government funds are spent developing the skills and knowledge of parenting practitioners, but very little is known about how effective practitioner training is. For instance, how many practitioners go on to use training in their day to day practice and if not, what is stopping them from doing so. 

This study is evaluating the value and impact of evidence-based training as it was implemented by the National Academy of Parenting Practitioners in 2008/09. This means understanding how many practitioners are trained, their qualifications and skills, whether or not they go on to deliver programmes, how many cases they see, what the results are and what the barriers may be to implementing a high quality service.  

What we have learned so far? 

Practitioners are highly satisfied with the evidence-based training programmes. 92% of those attending training rate the content as 'good' or 'very good' and 94% believe the trainers to be 'good' or 'very good'. 

Who attends evidence-based training? 

Practitioners from youth offending teams, children’s centres, health visiting and social work all attend training and approximately 40% have professional qualifications at graduate level or higher. Research indicates that local authorities are more likely to send practitioners on training courses if they have a parenting expert in post. 

What happens after the training? 

Evaluation findings from the first training offer in 2008 indicates that approximately 40% of the practitioners who attend training go on to deliver parenting groups within one year of their training and another third plan to in the near future. However, nearly all of those who attended this training say that the training improved their practice, with over 80% reporting that it has influenced their work with individual families. 

The on-going evaluation of modular training also suggests that practitioners are satisfied with their experience and are learning new things. During the first run of modular training, practitioners were asked to complete a pre and post training knowledge questionnaire. Data shows that practitioners’ scores improved an average of 8 percentage points after each modular training session.