Mike Coote and Eileen Pereira

Commissioning and Partnerships Team

SPIP: progress this year, and implementing the research

SPIP referrals - National

SPIP Aims

• The Separated Parenting Information Programme is a course designed to help parents:

• become clear what their children need most from them , as children of separated parents;

and, as part of this, to help them to:

• learn the fundamental principles of how to manage conflict and difficulties between themselves and their ex-partners, including applying these principles by planning and imagining positive management behaviours

Recommendations

• Earlier PIP, and linked more clearly to MIAM or dispute resolution

• Better screening and selection – faster referral• Better preparation and setting of expectations• Reviewed programme content• Post PIP follow up – picking up on the changed

language and new understandings

Screening• This would require far more systematic and

thorough screening and assessment than is currently taking place. It would also require an established and well-resourced alternative pathway for ‘risk’ cases, otherwise the likelihood is that inappropriate cases would proceed along the PIP-mediation pathway by default. In effect, what is required is a triage model where cases are initially screened and assessed and then suitable cases put through a PIP-mediation route whilst cases involving, for example, risk or entrenched conflict follow different pathways. Building Bridges P88

Mediation

• As we saw above, two thirds (64 per cent) of both PIP and comparison group parents thought that parents “should have to attend mediation before court”. It is possible that a higher proportion would support a mandatory assessment meeting.

•Building Bridges page 87

PIP Plus

• Has to be screened and safe• Expectations clear from the start, including

Judicial interest in parental resolution, not in return to court

• Order for PIP and MIM – regardless of MIAM

• PIP with a view to resolution• Plus Session• MIM

PIP Plus

• Within the PIP delivery PIP Plus must be introduced

• PIP Plus is not mediation

• PIP plus is an opportunity to draw out the learning received through PIP and lead the clients away from the Court system into mediation

• Joint meeting of about an hour with the PIP Provider:

PIP Plus

• Joint meeting of about an hour with the PIP Provider:– Learning from the programme– Communication learning– Parenting Agreement– Next steps – on the MIM or equivalent

MIM

• The next step from PIP Plus• A Joint or two single Mediation information

meetings• The opportunity to continue the joint

process begun in PIP Plus and move into mediation to make their own arrangements for the future.

Challenges

• Multi agency working• Costs

Summary

• SPIP appears to resonate with many parents, has found a significant place in the FJS, but has a modest impact.

• ‘The most effective programmes take time and several iterations to develop... Full potential has probably not yet been realised’