WE note with interest your report on research that questions the effectiveness of the Positive Parenting Programme (Triple P) in Glasgow, but this does not reflect our experience in Renfrewshire ("Health board's £4m parenting project slated", The Herald, November 12).
Triple P was proposed in Renfrewshire in 2010 as part of a suite of evidence-based programmes which the council, the Renfrewshire Community Health Partnership and other community planning partners agreed to effect an improvement in outcomes for local children. We chose Triple P because of the strong international evidence base and because it works across the spectrum of need.
We were persuaded that the improved outcomes for children and families far outweighed the required investment in training and resources. We trained 240 staff from different agencies over a three-year period and began delivering Triple P in 2011.
There is no doubt that there are challenges in implementing a universal programme in partnership across a large geographical area; however, our reach is increasing as staff become more familiar with the programme and parents hear through word of mouth about Triple P. Using a recognised measurement tool, we can show improved scores for 85 per cent of families who have received an intervention for a specific parenting problem and an improved score for 72 per cent of families who have more complex problems.
Partners in health, social work and education in Renfrewshire are now working in a more co-ordinated way with parents, using the same language and approach.
Supporting parents remains a high priority for Renfrewshire and we are committed to continuing to support all parents in our area, using Triple P and other evidence-based programmes.
David Leese, director; Fiona MacKay, head of planning; Katrina Phillips, head of mental health and health improvement and children's services, Renfrewshire Community Health Partnership,
Renfrewshire House,
Cotton Street,
Paisley.
THE Triple P Parenting Programme has been used with great effect with families living in the most deprived areas of Glasgow. For some families it is necessary to support them to address other issues before they are able to fully engage in the programme; however, once this has been achieved practitioners have received positive endorsements and families' lives have changed for the better.
The statement that the programme is not effective for families who do not have English as their first language has not been the experience of the health visiting team working with a high number of asylum seekers in North Glasgow; practitioners have been able to utilise the tools provided by the programme to overcome any communication issues and the effectiveness has been demonstrated on a regular basis.
Margaret Murray,
Team leader,
Glasgow Community Health Partnership North East Sector,
Children & Families Services, Springburn Health Centre,
200 Springburn Way,
Glasgow.
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