Parent and carer champions

Access to parenting support is a key part of a public health approach. The VRU’s strategy focuses on the following groups:

• Parents or carers of adolescent young people (10 to 24 years old) who may be at risk of or have experienced serious violence, exploitation and/or grooming.

• Parents who need support navigating the education, criminal justice or social care systems.

The Parent Carer Champion Network (PCCN) is a peer-to-peer support programme that enables safe spaces for parents to share experiences, receive training and access community-led support. It covers topics such as violence affecting young people, grooming, school exclusions, communication and substance misuse. The network also raises awareness of external support services.

The VRU commissioned Alma Economics to evaluate the Parent Carer Champion Network (PCCN).

The evaluation will outline the key successes achieved and any challenges experienced across the programme design, implementation and delivery of the network.

This will help identify learning and best practice, to support understanding for potential future PCCN iterations. The evaluation mainly explores the process of implementation, however perceived impact is also considered through surveys and interviews.

Two final reports are expected in early 2025. One focused on local implementation, learning and best practice. The other on learning to inform future parent carer commissions.

The evaluation provider will develop an online learning platform that is easily accessed by PCCN stakeholders. This is also due early 2025.