About the project
Aims
This collaborative, mixed-methods scoping study will appraise and advance the knowledge-base for, and provision of, universally available dedicated websites and dedicated apps that provide resources and support for parents and parenting. The project employs the umbrella term of 'virtual parent support portals' to refer to these online and digital platforms and services which provide child/youth-related information, resources and guidance to parents; and can increasingly incorporate access to professional support, peer support or structured parenting courses or programmes. The project will undertake research about these universally dedicated websites and apps for parents when they are delivered as 'standalone services' or as part of multi-modal and multi-level services.
About the project
Aims
Timeline and phases
Outputs and dissemination
Timeline and phases
The project runs to December 2025 and will be completed across three workstreams:
Workstream one
A literature scoping review to chart and appraise the UK and international social sciences and digital studies research about the conceptualisation, delivery and evaluation of virtual parent support portals.
Workstream two
A survey of Local Authorities and service providers in England, who commission and deliver universally provided online and digital information, guidance and support for parents, to generate much needed robust data about provision, innovation and challenges in the current policy context.
Workstream three
In-depth qualitative research with parents, to explore parental perspectives of utilising virtual parent support portals among a diverse yet disadvantaged/higher need study sample who reside in a locality served by a Family Hub.
Project timeline and phases
Outputs and dissemination
The project will produce three interim open-access reports to provide key findings from each workstream, targeted at researcher, policy and practice audiences, with the first due in autumn 2024. Alongside these interim reports, webinars will be delivered to disseminate these findings, as well as presentations at relevant events and conferences.
A full public report and briefing will also be produced at the end of the project, presenting the final study findings and setting out research, policy and practice recommendations.
Reports and outputs from the project will be made available on this website when available.
A range of stakeholders helping to shape the project, including academic and sector experts, parents and the project's main collaborator, Action for Children
Our core team is made up of researchers and specialists from the University of Sheffield and Action for Children.