20th Feb 2025
2025 Update
As we go forward into 2025, the team at the E-PAtS study would like to share with you some important updates and milestones from 2024.
Over the past year our E-PAtS providers have worked very hard to support families to access the E-PAtS programme, running groups across the UK and Northern Ireland, with further groups planned over the coming year.
During the year we were able to extend our age range to children aged from birth to not yet 7 years of age. Previously the age range was 18months to not yet 6yrs. This means that participation in the study E-PAtS is now available to an even wider range of parents/carers.
Another important change over the past year is the potential for parents to attend an online E-PAtS group. This option is slowly being rolled out by some providers, and makes E-PAtS much more accessible for parents/carers who had work/childcare commitments.
As you know, the E-PAtS study is what is known as a randomised controlled trial (or RCT for short). With this study design, half the parents attend E-PAtS at the very beginning (group A), and half attended an E-PAtS group approximately 12 months later (group B). It's hard to believe time has passed by so quickly - the first set of groups for group B will begin very soon.
In the meantime, we are still recruiting more groups to the study, so if you are interested in taking part click HERE.
15th December 2024
Practitioners Involvement with E-PAtS
Families and professionals worked together to create E-PAtS, and practitioners and family carers deliver the programme together. Families bring expertise from their lived experience and practitioners bring their own experience and skills; in E-PAtS both are equally important.
We have been very fortunate to be able to continue to work with Mencap Northern Ireland to deliver E-PAtS as part of the research study.
Working alongside a family carer, Judith Divers (herself a family carer) is a dedicated professional from Mencap who delivers E-PAtS as part of the study. Judith has personal experience of E-PAtS, having attended it as a family carer and now delivering the programme for MENCAP.
“Hi, I am Judith, mum to Ben and family carer facilitator for E-PAtS. Ben has a severe learning disability and is a complete rascal, who keeps me on my toes and has a wonderful ability to make people happy and feel good. I was first introduced to E-PAtS when I participated in the feasibility study in 2018/2019. I was part of the wait group and while I needed to wait a while to attend E-PAtS, I think it came at the right time for me, Ben, and our family. That’s were my E-PAtS journey started, and I am so pleased to have been offered the opportunity to attend training and become a family carer facilitator and support the RCT research project. Not only do I get to share my experiences, meet more families similar to my own, but I feel part of a wider community that also now includes the lovely research team and fantastic family carers from across the study.
I was excited to be part of the feasibility study all those years ago, as I felt that by sharing my experience of being a mum to Ben I could contribute in a positive way, maybe support change. I still feel that way in my role as a facilitator and my involvement with the RCT. I am really delighted to have more families join the E-PAtS community through the research project as it has really helped me and my family, and I am sure it will continue to support many more, which is really fantastic!”
125th November 2024
Practitioners Involvement with E-PAtS
Families and professionals worked together to create E-PAtS, and practitioners and family carers deliver the programme together. Families bring expertise from their lived experience and practitioners bring their own experience and skills; in E-PAtS both are equally important.
We have been very fortunate to be able to continue to work with Croydon Mencap to deliver E-PAtS as part of the research study.
Working alongside a family carer, Lisa Taylor is a dedicated professional from Croydon Mencap who delivers E-PAtS as part of the study. Lisa is a guidance counsellor with over 25 years experience working in the voluntary sector supporting Carers through advocacy, employment support and providing training and social events. She joined the EPAtS team at Croydon Mencap in 2023.
“I really enjoy facilitating the EPAtS course. Carers share their stories in such a powerful way, and tell us how much they appreciate having this time for themselves. Each session allows plenty of time for discussion often leading to shared learning. This is the first time I have been part of the University Research Project and I am really enjoying the experience. Valerie has worked for Barnet Mencap for 10 years and has lots of experience in delivering workshops and providing support for families around accessing information that may be helpful for them. ”
10 September 2024
Practitioners Involvement with E-PAtS
Families and professionals worked together to create E-PAtS, and practitioners and family carers deliver the programme together. Families bring expertise from their lived experience and practitioners bring their own experience and skills; in E-PAtS both are equally important.
We have been very fortunate to be able to continue to work with Barnet Mencap to deliver E-PAtS as part of the research study.
Working alongside a family carer, Valerie Lam is a dedicated professional from Barnet Mencap who delivers E-PAtS as part of the study. Valerie has worked for Barnet Mencap for 10 years and has lots of experience in delivering workshops and providing support for families around accessing information that may be helpful for them.
“I am very excited to be part of this research project delivering E-PAtS to families. Research like this is so important as it allows us to enhance the support we provide and ensures that parents receive the most relevant information for them.”
11 June 2024
Evaluation and Experiences of Parents Attending E-PAtS
Report now available
The experiences of caregivers attending the E-PAtS programme has been published and is available to view and download.
22 April 2024
New E-PAtS Groups Starting This Week
Exciting news! Two more E-PAtS groups will be starting this week in Finchley Central and Edinburgh.
We will let you know about new groups closer to the time.
15 April 2024
New E-PAtS Groups Successfully Completed
We are excited to let you know that we have successfully completed E-PAtS groups in Cumbria, Finchley Central, Belfast, West Lothian, and Derry City. We are sending a huge thank you to all the staff and families who participated.
We will let you know about new groups closer to the time.
22 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 create the programme, and family carers deliver the programme with practitioners. Families bring expertise from their lived experience and practitioners bring their practitioner 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.”
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