How evidence-based programmes help parents support a child’s development

This month, we spoke to Martina McCooey, the Child Development Intervention Coordinator (CDIC) for the Southern Health and Social Care Trust. She spoke to us about the Parent Programme work and support that’s currently ongoing.

Tell us a little bit more about your role and what it entails? 

I’m the Service Lead in the Southern Trust Area and have responsibility for the promotion of evidence-based parenting programmes across the age spectrum, from pre-birth up to 18 years old. I have colleagues in each of the other Trust areas, and we all work to enhance family support models through the development and integration of evidence-based programmes, providing the earliest possible support to families. We also hold a key support role in terms of the implementation of Regional and Trust level Infant Mental Health Strategies, with a critical focus on workforce and service development needs. 

Why do you think evidence-based parent programmes are important? 

There is a lot of evidence to support the principle that a child’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development during their earliest years can strongly influence their future wellbeing, relationships, educational attainment, and capacity to engage in the world of work. The role of parents as primary care givers is central to children’s outcomes in the short and long term. While pregnancy and infancy are vital stages in the creation of secure attachments, evidence clearly shows that a parent’s influence extends well beyond this period, and support at any age is valuable. Good quality parenting support meeting a range of needs at various ages and stages can be critical to the path a child and their family are on. In many cases, early intervention will prevent later costly interventions both at an emotional and economic level. 

The evidence-based parenting programmes we work to promote have clearly stated aims and objectives, with measurable outcomes and a clear structure where practitioners are supported delivery to fidelity through supervision and additional support workshops. 

Are there any moments that really stand out to you when you think about the work you’ve been doing? If nothing comes to mind, what would you like to see more of?  

The things that stand out for me most, are:  

1. The partnership working that happens in the Southern Trust to address gaps in provision, and to provide the evidence-based programme support to families at the point of need.
2. The feedback we receive from parents on the difference the programme support has made for them, for their families, and the reduced need for additional support because of the connections they make with peers through programme engagement!

Is there anything happening in your Trust area you would specifically like to highlight for the coming months? 

In the Southern Trust, we are currently planning for the range of new evidence-based parenting programmes available to families and residents in our area from September 2026 until June 2027 next year. They will be available for parents/carers of typically developing children, as well as children and young people with special needs. We have online and face-to-face programmes and they’ll run both during the day, and in the evening time. 

Updated information on the new programmes will be available by the end of April on the Children’s & Young Peoples Strategic Partnership (CYPSP) website. There is clear information on the parenting page about how to apply for each programme and conversations are very welcome from parents and or referrers to see which programme might suit them best! 

What do you think is currently being done well regarding infant and children mental health? 

Having a regional Infant Mental Health Framework with Trust Strategies aligned to it is fantastic. There is considerable work going on at local level to ensure that practitioners have a key understanding into the importance of supporting early parent and infant relationships. In the Southern Trust, we have a range of training opportunities for practitioners from all sectors working to support families at the earliest possible stage. 

Work is also ongoing to provide support to parents of infants, particularly outside Sure Start areas, through our Tiny Steps programme delivered by our Home Start partners. This programme is particularly focused on parents experiencing early anxiety, isolation and potentially struggling to bond with their child. 

What would you like to see change in how infant and children mental health is approached and understood? 

I would like to see a consistent approach across NI in relation to early support for parents and infants, particularly for families outside Sure Start areas. I would love to see a media campaign for families and communities celebrating activities that support early healthy brain development such as reading to the infant/child, playing with them, singing to them, and the critical importance of providing a safe and secure environment for the child to grow up in.  

Finally, if you had unlimited money or influence, what changes would you love to see in the Southern Trust, and the current parent programme system? 

While we are very fortunate in the Southern Trust area to have a range of evidence-based programmes for families delivered by partners from all sectors, there is always a need for more. If money wasn’t an issue I would invest much more into supporting families at the earliest possible stage, particularly families outside our Sure Start catchment areas. I would also love to develop greater support for families with teenagers, as this is an area of particular need in our locality. 

We hope this provided some useful information into the work that the CDICs are doing in their areas, as well as providing a look into what happens in specific locality areas! 

If you would like to get in touch with Martina regarding the work that’s happening in the Southern Trust, you can email her at: [email protected]. Alternatively, if you are based in an another Trust area, you can find the contact details for the other CDICs here.

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