Final Evaluation of Kitchen Table Talk: Peer to Peer Outreach Programme for Parents – Serious Youth Violence West Midlands Pathfinder (April 2022)
Summary:
Final evaluation summary and report of the West Midlands Pathfinder work in relation to working effectively with parents and carers through Kitchen Table Talks.
Description:
As part of the West Midlands Serious Youth Violence Pathfinder, they have been able to evaluate the Kitchen Table Talks programme, aimed at parents.
In September 2020 First Class Foundation were commissioned, through a competitive tender process, to deliver their Kitchen Table Talks programme across Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Wolverhampton and Walsall Services.
First Class Foundation describe Kitchen Table Talks as a culturally competent, psychologically informed peer-to-peer outreach programme supporting and working closely with the parents of young people involved with the Youth Justice System.
Acting as a bridge between the parents and the youth justice service, the service is designed to support the parents of those most at risk of reoffending by helping them to understand the youth justice system, being a sounding board and relaying information back to the youth justice service to help the service better understand and support the parents.
The University of Wolverhampton and University of Birmingham have completed a final evaluation and summary report of the programme (April 2022).
The quantitative findings show that there was a significant increase in participants’ wellbeing and perceived confidence with parenting during engagement with kitchen table talks, and this continued to increase the longer participants were engaged.
The research further found that while referral processes varied according to the youth justice service, they showed more success where they were embedded into core youth justice service practices, supported by senior management, and where close working relationships were built with Kitchen Table Talks.
The final evaluation has also highlighted some recommendations for embedding into practice.
You may also be interested in the interim evaluation and associated summary report.