Current research

Our research department conducts world-class research that gives an insight into the issues that most affect parents ad practitioners.

Our current research projects include:

C4EO theme: Families, Parents and Carers

C4EO identifies, coordinates and disseminates local, regional and national evidence of 'what works', to create a single and comprehensive picture of effective practice in delivering children's services. Using this information, C4EO offers support to local authorities and their Children's Trust partners, working with them to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families.FPI is a strategic partner in C4EO. We are responsible for the Families, Parents and Carers theme and we also manage the C4EO parents' and carers' panel.

Families, Parents and Carers theme

This theme will run from September 2009 to March 2011 and will focus on three priorities:

1. Improving the safety, health and wellbeing of children through improving the physical and mental health of mothers, fathers and carers

2. Improving children's outcomes by supporting parental and carer couple relationships and reducing conflict within families, including domestic violence

3. Improving children's and young people's achievement, behavioural and emotional outcomes through effective support and intervention with mothers, fathers and carers of 7-19 year olds

Parents and Carers Panel

The C4EO parents and carers panel is a group of 35 parents and carers from across the country who play a key role in making sure that the views and experiences of mothers, fathers and carers inform the work undertaken and how the messages can be shared with parents and carers who access services and activities.

FPI lead for C4EO: Joanne Kellett

Further details and resources can be found at www.c4eo.org.uk

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Family wellbeing

Family Trends
Family Trends is a major study of developments in family life over the past forty years and includes an extensive range of statistical and analytical data. Covering demographics, migration and relationships, through to issues associated with wellbeing and the recession, the study is intended to provide policy makers with a panoramic view of the make up and functioning of families.

Wellbeing studies
Following on from - Child Wellbeing in England, Scotland and Wales,
"Can government measure family wellbeing? " and
"Measuring the Capability of Physical Wellbeing for British Children" will be published later this year.

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Is Parenting a Class Issue?

This book follows up on the July 08 seminar of the same name and argues that and that parenting is indeed a class issue. Parenting practices and values are grounded in social and economic realities.

The book, to be published in 2010, will cover two main questions:
1. Does the policy agenda aim to transform all parents into middle-class parents?
2. Can we afford to ignore the voices and choices of the parents that parenting policies are seeking to help?

Lead researcher:Martina Klett-Davies

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Older couples' housing

That the majority of older people prefer to live for as long as possible in their own homes, surrounded by familiar people, places and objects, is well established. Recognising this, a number of recent Government initiatives have aimed to maximise the likelihood that older people are empowered to remain in their own homes

This project is designed as a preliminary exploration of older couple relationships and aims to establish, in the first instance, the extent to which the lives of older couples are affected by concerns about separation.

As part of our research we are speaking to older couples who face the challenge getting the care needs that one of them needs without being separated. We are looking for more people we can interview - older couples or children of older couples who are in this situation. To find out more about taking part please contact research@familyandparenting.org Icon: Email address.

Lead researcher: Helen Barrett

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Parental Engagement in Children's Education

Early Years Learning Research Project

A DCSF project
The importance of the influence of the home learning environment on young children in the early years has been firmly established in the last ten years. The Provider Influence on the Home Learning Environment project will interview parents and providers of childcare for 3 and 4 year olds to provide new evidence about how providers can be most effective in supporting parents to provide a rich home learning environment for pre-school children.

Project lead: Anne Page

Support for parents in relation to young peoples career choices and transition from school to work

A literature review has been completed prior to qualitative research and development work.

Changes in Parental Involvement in Secondary Education: an exploratory study using the longitudinal study of young people in England

Using data from the latest wave of the Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England (LSYPE), FPI has produced a report exploring change in parents' involvement in their children's education, focusing on the secondary school stage. A peer reviewed article is being published in the British Education Research Journal.

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Relationship support

The study's main aim is to inform the development and implementation of new policy initiatives to support adult relationships, particularly those of parents. Existing evidence shows that it is the quality of relationships that matter most in the promotion of strong, healthy families and positive outcomes for children, so the study will consider how support services can be preventative – offering support at crunch points in relationships – and ensure early intervention when things begin to go wrong.
More

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What makes for a positive birth experience? A cross-European comparison of women's experiences of maternity care

Promoting healthy pregnancy and safe childbirth is a goal of all European health care systems, but there are marked differences between countries in the organisation of care. Sharing knowledge about this diversity is essential as countries face similar challenges in perinatal health.
This review, which will be published in 2010, aims to depict and compare the experiences of child bearing women with maternity services in four European countries - UK, Germany, Sweden and The Netherlands - and to throw light on some of the challenges in providing a satisfying experience for women throughout their pregnancy, child birth and in the immediate postnatal period.

Lead Researcher: Shuby Puthussery

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Young British Muslims and their parents: issues of faith, citizenship and identity

Following on from FPI's research on parenting and ethnicity, this three year research project explores the complex process of identity formation amongst young British Muslims, particularly during their teenage years, and the role of their parents in passing on values. It seeks to investigate how schools and family can contribute to giving young people a stronger sense of belonging while providing insights into different parenting values.
This is a collaborative project between the Centre for Research on the Child & Family (CRCF) at the University of East Anglia and the Family and Parenting Institute, funded by the ESRC and the FPI.
Lead researcher: Michela Franceschelli

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For more details on our research programme please contact research@familyandparenting.org Icon: Email address

Last updated: 28th January 2010 at 04:01:25