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How can we achieve a step change in access to effective parenting support?

In A fairer start

22 Jul 2025 12:00 – 13:00

Online

Free

Evidence shows that parenting programmes can be really effective at helping caregivers to provide the nurturing and stimulating care that children need to support their healthy development.

While many parenting programmes are effective, there isn’t enough of this support available to families, meaning thousands of children and families who could benefit from this help are currently missing out.

A national scale-up of the most effective parenting programmes is needed. If these parenting programmes reached the 20% of children who have the highest needs, this could result in 8,000 more children in England each year being on track with their development by the time they start school – a substantial contribution toward the government’s opportunity mission target.

Join us on Tuesday 22 July 12:00-13:00 BST to hear about our new analysis of the market for parenting interventions. We’ll highlight the need for a concentrated effort to strengthen the market of parenting support, and recommendations on how to do so.

Hear a summary of our research findings from the lead author Vivek Roy-Chowdhury, Principal Researcher for Nesta’s fairer start mission.

Our event chair Louise Bazalgette, Deputy Director for Nesta’s fairer start mission will then invite responses from our panel of experts including Donna Molloy, Deputy Chief Executive at Foundations and Eleanor Ireland, Programme Head of Education at Nuffield Foundation. This will be followed by an audience Q&A where you will have the opportunity to put your questions to our panel.

This online event is for early years policymakers, funders, local authorities, intervention developers and those in the charitable sector who specialise in early childhood development. You’ll gain valuable takeaways for developing, delivering and commissioning effective parenting support which you can apply to your work.

Louise Bazalgette

She/Her

Louise works as part of a multi-disciplinary innovation team focused on narrowing the outcome gap for disadvantaged children. Previously Louise was Principal Research Advisor for Nesta’s Alliance for Useful Evidence. As part of this role, Louise was evidence lead in the development team for What Works for Children's Social Care, while it was incubated at Nesta. As part of this work, Louise developed the Centre’s Evidence Store. Louise has a background in promoting the use of evidence in policy and practice, having previously worked at the think tank Demos (2010 - 2013) and the NSPCC (2013 - 2018). At Demos Louise researched policy areas including parenting, the early years and children's social care. At the NSPCC, Louise led work on a system redesign project with local authorities to improve mental health outcomes for looked after children. She also led the development and evaluation of new services for children involved with children’s social care. This included working with children’s practitioners to develop a practice toolkit for direct work with children. Louise is passionate about the roles that research and evidence can play in improving people's lives. She is a trained researcher in both qualitative and quantitative methods, specialising in qualitative research with vulnerable groups. She completed an MSc in Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London in 2018.

Vivek Roy-Chowdhury

He/him

Vivek works as a principal researcher in Nesta's fairer start mission. Before joining Nesta in 2024, he completed a PhD in Economics at the University of Cambridge. His academic research uses a mixture of econometric analysis and experiments to test microeconomic theory. Part of his work focuses on the development of non-cognitive skills in children. Vivek previously worked as a researcher at the Behavioural Insights Team and the Bank of England. He led quantitative research spanning education, equality, labour markets, and public health. Outside work, some of Vivek's happy places are cinemas, live music venues, country paths, and squash courts.

Donna Molloy

She/her

Donna is Deputy Chief Executive at Foundations. She leads Foundations’ work on impact and ensuring evidence is used to influence local and national policy and practice. She works extensively with policymakers in Whitehall departments, sector organisations and those leading services in local areas. Before joining Foundations, Donna helped set up the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) and was EIF’s Director of Policy & Practice from 2013. She was awarded an OBE for services to disadvantaged children and young people in the 2022 New Year Honours. Prior to her time at EIF, Donna spent over 10 years in central government roles, developing policy and programmes to support disadvantaged children and families. She ran national programmes to increase the availability of evidence-based parenting and family support as deputy head of the DfE Families at Risk division, and also worked as a senior policy adviser in the Home Office, Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit and the Social Exclusion Unit. Donna started her career as a researcher at the National Centre for Social Research.

Eleanor Ireland

She/her

Eleanor Ireland is a Programme Head for Education at the Nuffield Foundation. She leads the development and management of the Foundation’s research portfolio in early years. Prior to joining the Foundation she worked as a Research Director at NatCen Social Research, where she designed and managed research projects in the areas of early years education, parental separation and family policy; and at NFER, where she worked on a range of mixed methods educational evaluations.

Part of

Understanding the market for parenting programmes in the UK

How can we achieve a step change in access to effective parenting support?

About Nesta

How can we achieve a step change in access to effective parenting support?

How can we achieve a step change in access to effective parenting support? - 22 Jul 2025 12:00 – 13:00