Family Partnership Model
The Family Partnership Model was developed by Dr Crispin Day from the Centre for Parent and Child Support which is situated in London.
Family Partnership is an evidence-based helping skills model developed by Professor Hilton Davis and colleagues from the Centre for Child and Parent Support in London.
The Family Partnership Model is not a new programme; it is an approach that aims to enhance the skills of people, from a wide range of disciplines, who work with families. It focuses on partnering, building trust, negotiating for change and sharing the problem solving process between helpers and families.
To date it is being used in the UK, Australia and a number of European countries. The model was introduced to New Zealand by Family and Community Services, in partnership with Plunket, in 2006.
The model has been evaluated in a number of research projects. Research findings and practitioner feedback indicate that the FPM training is valued by participants, enabling them to feel more confident and competent in engaging with and working alongside families. Several studies, including some randomised control trials, have shown:
- improved accuracy in worker’s identification of family needs
- significantly improved parental satisfaction with the services provided
- significant improvements in the functioning of parents, as well as in the development and wellbeing of their children
Training course participants have noted an increase in inter-agency connections and understanding of other programme and agency goals where FPM training is delivered in a multi-agency setting.
The trainingis an opportunity to explore the complex issue of how good help happens. It is a course that is both thought-provoking and practical. It presents an opportunity to talk with people from a variety of agencies and develop a shared understanding about the process of helping, whatever the setting. It is also a chance to practise the skills of engaging people and developing supportive and effective relationships with them, whether they be clients or colleagues from your own or other agencies.
The theory underlying the Family Partnership Model emphasises the need for highly skilled communication. It also assumes that a respectful partnership is a powerful support in its own right and that in itself is a means by which people’s self-esteem may be increased. This relationship is the vehicle by which people can explore the difficulties they face, clarify their situation and develop the most helpful and effective strategies.
Family and Community Services is supporting the provision of FPM training to selected community organisations and government agencies.
