The evidence shows that prolonged, unresolved parental conflict can have a long-lasting and damaging effect on children’s mental wellbeing, development and long-term life chances. Poor relational capability can lead to unhealthy relationships, contributing to other wellbeing issues, such as stress, ill health and money problems.
Relationships can be complex and some will break down. While there is a high emotional cost incurred by the families affected, there is also a high cost to government for public services to pick up the pieces – estimated at around £51 billion a year by the Relationships Foundation, a think tank.
So it makes good social and economic sense to support people to develop their relational capability and break the cycle of destructive relationship breakdowns.
Early intervention is crucial. Supporting people to learn vital skills to cope with life’s challenges is always more effective than waiting to pick up the pieces after things have gone wrong.
Local councils are best placed to lead this early intervention approach. They understand the needs of their local communities. They know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to providing support to local families.
We are proud to be working with so many local authorities, offering training and access to resources to support those families in need.
Talking about relationships isn’t always easy. For many people, there is still stigma and shame attached to relationship breakdown. We’d like to change that by making it easier for people to get help as soon as it’s needed.
Local authority staff can support this shift, along with anyone who works with families. This could include councillor surgeries, healthcare providers, and community-run centres.
Our digital resources are an effective way to engage with hard-to-reach parents – particularly younger parents and dads – by offering accessible, non-intrusive ways of helping people help themselves, and providing a stepping stone to further support where needed.
OnePlusOne offers a variety of support to help reduce parental conflict. To find out more, please visit our website.