Separating better – our app to support parents through the process of separation – is helping parents to communicate better and be more prepared to manage the challenges of separation, divorce and co-parenting, an evaluation of the resource has found.
Work to develop, test and evaluate the effectiveness of a free evidence-based app to support separating parents was funded by the Department for Work and Pensions Reducing Parental Conflict Challenge Fund. OnePlusOne was one of eight successful projects to be awarded a share of £2.8million to develop ways to support families at risk of conflict.
The government has recently published its final learning report from all eight projects, and we are delighted to now be able to share our full evaluation of Separating better which shows the benefits that a universally accessible separation support app can bring to families.
The evaluation process included detailed analysis of data collected from over 1,000 users who signed up to Separating better, as well as survey results and detailed interviews. Key findings showed that parents who used the app experienced significant improvements in their emotional readiness to cope with the stages and challenges of separation. There were improvements in their conflict resolution skills and ability to co-parent cooperatively, benefiting themselves, their ex-partner, and their children.
Overall, parents who used the app reported:
- Feeling better informed about the separation process.
- Experiencing a positive effect on their frame of mind.
- Having greater awareness of the impact of conflict on children.
- Feeling better equipped to manage their emotions and communicate effectively with their ex-partner and their children.
Many parents said that using the app normalised their experiences of separation, highlighting that it helped them to feel they were not alone in facing the emotional and practical challenges of the process and ongoing co-parenting journey.
Dr Shannon Hirst, OnePlusOne’s lead researcher and author of the report, said: “Research shows that children who are exposed to frequent, intense and poorly resolved conflict are at significant risk of long-term, negative outcomes to their development and wellbeing. And for adults too, the quality of our relationships impacts everything from our mental and physical health, to economic stability, workplace productivity and emotional wellbeing. When relationships break down, the consequences are far reaching.
“We developed Separating better to reduce the risk of harm caused by relationship breakdown by helping parents to learn how to communicate well, reduce conflict and understand the emotional stages and practical challenges of separation and divorce. At a time in their lives when many parents feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to turn, Separating better has successfully helped parents to be emotionally ready to manage this journey, crucially helping some to engage in non-court dispute resolution (NCDR) and avoid lengthy, entrenched separation battles.
“We found that parents at all stages of separation used the Separating better app for help. It filled the ‘black hole’ many described themselves in when looking for support, or being referred to services they simply couldn’t afford. Significantly, we found that fathers in particular valued the discreet, user-friendly format of the app and also experienced greater improvements in emotional readiness and co-parenting cooperation after working through its contents.
“Eight months is a short amount of time to launch and evaluate the effectiveness of any product, but the impact Separating better has already had demonstrates the need for this type of support and the benefits of continued investment for families and wider society. By strengthening parents’ capacity to co-parent cooperatively, manage conflict more effectively and become more emotionally ready to engage with the task of separating, Separating better has given parents the best chance of mitigating the negative outcomes of separation on their children and themselves.”
As part of the evaluation into Separating better, 50% of the fathers interviewed said they either lost their job or had to take a demotion as a direct result of the emotional strain caused by their separation. Similarly, many mothers reported having to reduce their hours, take zero-hour contracts or give up work completely to care for their child as a single parent. The impact of divorce can lead to a 40% reduction in productivity for up to three years, representing an annual cost to business of £48billion.
By equipping parents with the skills to reduce conflict and communicate effectively, Separating better is an effective way to help reduce many of the emotional and practical stresses that accompany separation, and could be pivotal in alleviating the pressures placed on other services.
Government funding for the app has now ended and OnePlusOne is seeking additional financial support to keep it available as a universally free resource for parents. The charity will only able to self-fund the app until September 2025 and has written to ministers urging them to continue to support their investment in help for children and families affected by separation.
Verity Glasgow, CEO of OnePlusOne, said, “The promising results we have seen from Separating better in such a short space of time make us eager to keep it accessible to families and make further developments to offer even more support.
“There is no doubt that evidence-based digital assets represent excellent value for money for the government and a way to reach parents who might not otherwise engage in support services. It makes good social and economic sense to maintain this vital service which can help thousands of families every year. I hope we can secure its long-term future to continue to offer families information, education, and support around separation.”
You can find out more about the Separating better app on OnePlusOne’s website.
How can I access Separating better?
You can download the app from your chosen app store.
Read the full evaluation report
If you’d like to talk to us about Separating better, please contact the team at
info@oneplusone.org.uk
