Partnership for Change Randomised Control Trial
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Partnership for Change: intervention development and definitive RCT of Infant Parent Support Teams to address place-based inequalities in struggling families and communities
IRAS ID
343522
Contact name
Helen Minnis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Glasgow
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 10 months, 31 days
Research summary
The study focuses on families in Scotland and England with at least one child aged 0–5 years where there are concerns about mental health, parental stress , or the parent–child relationship. Building on a feasibility randomised controlled trial (f-RCT) in Bromley and Glasgow, the research team co-produced Infant Parent Support (IPS) teams in partnership with parents with lived experience and practitioners. These IPS teams provided mental health and family support for families who had social work support, resulting in increased awareness of neurodevelopmental and poverty issues, and the importance of parents with lived experience as practitioners and managers.
The f-RCT developed strong multi-agency collaborations and local context mapping. Lessons learnt now inform a larger, definitive RCT designed to determine how best to engage families who would most benefit from IPS at an earlier stage in their support journey. The new trial aims to refine the place-sensitivity of IPS delivery, co-create a place-based theory of change, and strengthen family support networks in participating communities.
The adaptive RCT will recruit 180–200 families and compare IPS against universal services. IPS offers support for parental mental health, parent–child relationships, welfare, housing, and neurodiversity.
Evaluation will include clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness relating to reducing child maltreatment. A process evaluation will also explore implementation and local adaptation. Key outcomes will measure improvements in child and parent mental health, parent–child relationships, and community connectedness. The study will also assess its efficacy addressing place-based inequalities by comparing trial recruitment demographics with target populations.
The project tests whether IPS, co-produced with families and adapted to local contexts, is an effective and scalable approach to supporting struggling families, improving outcomes for children, and reducing inequalities.REC name
Wales REC 5
REC reference
25/WA/0311
Date of REC Opinion
22 Oct 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion