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Research is the foundation of One Plus One's practical work: monitoring marriage and longterm partnerships, to see how they are changing, what factors cause breakdown, and how people stay together. It undertakes its own original projects and also draws together other research from the UK and abroad, presenting it in a way that policy makers and the public can understand. The nature of its research work informs both national policy and practical initiatives at community level.
One Plus One's research findings are the basis for working projects created by the practice development team to support couples and families. This may involve, for example, training health professionals and others working with families to identify relationship difficulties and to offer effective, acceptable and accessible support to those families. Because its practical projects are grounded in research, they are informed and more likely to be achievable.
Using non-professional lay workers in family support: The Community Mothers project
(Simons & Reynolds, 2000)
During 1998 One Plus One carried out a project in Tilbury, Essex, extending and developing the Brief Encounters training to lay workers (Community Mothers) who were aware that many of the parents with whom they worked were experiencing relationship problems. Training and additional communications materials (specially commissioned cartoons) were provided to help them develop this area of their work with young parents.
The Community Mothers programme (an international programme) recognises that some parents seek social support from other parents, rather than professionals. Community Mothers are experienced local mothers living in disadvantaged areas. They have unique and informal access to parents during the first year of parenthood, through monthly home visits and parent-led support groups. One Plus One's training for Community Mothers incorporates elements on how relationships develop, issues for new parents, stepfamilies and lone parents, reflecting the increasing diversity of family structures as couples separate and form new partnerships. One Plus One created and evaluated the cartoons requested by the Community Mothers. Portraying couples and families humourously but with sensitivity, the cartoons were designed to help stimulate discussion between Community Mothers and local mothers, who often find it difficult to talk about personal issues, helping them to understand their situation better and devise their own ways of coping.
The project also aimed to increase co-operation between Community Mothers and the professional health and social care workers who are involved with the same families. One Plus One held meetings as part of the project, to allow local service providers to meet one another and discuss ways of working together, so that families do not slip through the local support network.
The second phase of this project involved an evaluation study. Results from pre- and post-training questionnaires indicated that the training was successful. In-depth interviews with community mothers and the mothers they visit confirmed that the community mothers were able to 'diagnose' relationship problems and became more skilled and confident in responding. The cartoons were popular and were thought to be a useful tool to get couples talking.
Feedback from the training:
"I am more aware of listening skills, and feel sad the training has come to an end."
"... the course enabled me to recognise signs of marital problems."
"[the course] has helped me very much to talk and communicate better with my mums."
"I have used the Sex after the baby cartoon with a mum - excellent."
"... brilliant cartoons... without good cartoon material pertaining to relationships it is difficult to get both partners to share their feelings."
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