Global Workforce Development in Father Engagement Competencies for Family-Based Interventions Using an Online Training Program: A Mixed-Method Feasibility Study.

Global access to practitioner training in the clinical engagement of fathers in family-based interventions is limited. The current study evaluated the feasibility of training practitioners in Canada and UK using online training developed in Australia by examining improvements in practitioner confidence and competence in father engagement, training satisfaction, qualitative feedback, and benchmarking results to those from an Australian sample. Practitioners were recruited to participate in a 2-h online training program through health services and charity organisations. The online program required practitioners to watch a video and complete self-reflection exercises in a digital workbook. Pre- and post-training measures were collected immediately before and after the online training program. The results indicated significantly large improvements in self-reported confidence and competence in engaging fathers following training, with levels of improvement similar to those found in Australia. Training satisfaction was high and qualitative feedback suggested providing local resources and increasing representation of social diversity could improve training relevance in local contexts. The findings suggest online training in father engagement can contribute to global workforce development in improving practitioners' skills in engaging fathers in family-based interventions.

A preliminary evaluation of Kids Matter: A community-based parenting intervention.

Parents living in deprived communities are more likely to report lower parental self-efficacy and wellbeing. Poor parental wellbeing and self-efficacy are known risk factors in the development of a range of health and behavioural problems in childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Parenting interventions are key to prevent adverse outcomes in children, however, the mechanisms by which parents learn to understand and support their children are still not well understood. This study evaluated the acceptability of Kids Matter, a parenting intervention targeting parents who are struggling with financial adversity. Secondarily, the relationship between parental wellbeing and and self-efficacy was examined. The present is a retrospective, consecutive case series design study, comparing routinely collected data at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 3-month follow-up. Descriptive frequencies were drawn to explore parents' impressions of the programme. Multivariate analysis of variance and regression modelling were used to evaluate associations between parental wellbeing and self-efficacy at different time points. Parents found the programme enjoyable and useful. The intervention led to significant improvements in parental wellbeing and self-efficacy. Improvements in parental wellbeing were significantly associated with improvements in self-efficacy. This study provides evidence of the acceptability and effectiveness of Kids Matter.