20 Feb 2024
Families involvement with E-PAtS
Working together with families has been central to E-PAtS from its very beginning.
Families and professionals worked together to write the programme, and family carers deliver the programme with professionals. Families bring expertise from their lived experience and professionals bring clinical experience and skills; in E-PAtS both are equally important.
This research project holds true to these values and families have a voice at all stages of the research.
The research has a Parent Carer Advisory Group (PCAG). The PCAG is a group of 8 family carers from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who are involved in a number of ways during the project. Their opinions and views help to guide the research.
The Challenging Behaviour Foundation (CBF) is a charity set up and led by a family carer that has a long history of working in partnership with families. The CBF helped to set up the PCAG for the research and supports the running of this group. Families are paid for being part of the PCAG. The PCAG is chaired by a parent carer, and E-PAtS trainer, Debbie Austin, who has a daughter who has a severe learning disability and is autistic.
“I am delighted to be part of this research project. Research of this kind is so important as it adds to the understanding of what is needed to give families the best support possible when their child has additional developmental needs.”
15 Feb 2024
X Newly Trained E-PAtS Facilitators
All E-PAtS facilitators must complete a 5-day manualised training programme to be able to deliver the E-PAtS programme to families.
During Autumn 2023, parent carers and professionals worked together to train X new facilitators to deliver E-PAtS across the UK, making E-PAtS more accessible to families of young children with additional developmental needs.
01 Feb 2024
The Early Positive Approaches to Support (E-PAtS) Research Study is underway
We are pleased to share that our research project focused on early support for families raising a young child (under 6 years of age) with additional developmental needs has started. If you would like to read more about the E-PAtS RCT from our lead of parent carer engagement, please click <HERE> for a one page summary.
Over the next few months, we will be inviting families to take part in the study in Finchley Central (Barnet Mencap), Barrow on Furness (Carlisle Mencap), Fife (Kindred), Belfast (Mencap Northern Ireland) and Derry (Mencap Northern Ireland).
To find out more about the research click <HERE>
To view the dates for upcoming groups click <HERE>
To take part contact us at: lssjearlysupportrct@kent.ac.uk