- Bidding process for share of £3.6 million fund to help
families where children are exposed to conflict
- Local authorities, digital firms and expert public, private
and voluntary sector organisations invited to bid
- Projects must support disadvantaged parents and those with
complex needs, or any parent needing support through digital and
interactive self-help tools
Successful bidders will receive a minimum £150,000 grant to back
their projects, between June 2023 and November 2024.
The application window opens today (16 January), closing on 24
February 2023. Potential applicants must also complete an
eligibility check by 8 February.
Applicants can include local authorities or other public sector
organisations, private sector companies working in digital for
example, or social enterprises, voluntary or community
organisations.
Bidders’ projects will need to fall into one or both of the
following strands:
- projects that support diverse families at a greater risk of
parental conflict
- projects that use digital tools to support parents
experiencing conflict and/or self-guided tools that central
government could integrate into its services
Since launching in 2018, the DWP’s Reducing Parental Conflict
programme has been pivotal in finding ways to address
relationship distress between parents, to protect children’s
mental health.
The programme supports couples and separated parents to reduce
conflict, so their children have healthier environments to grow
up in and can reach their full potential as adults.
The programme has already worked with all 152 local authorities
in England and dozens of organisations to lead the way in
building a solid evidence base on what works to help families.
Minister for Work and Pensions said:
Conflict between parents can have a lasting impact on children,
affecting their school grades and life chances.
Our projects are guided by the expertise of those working closest
with families, who often witness the impact of conflict on
children and can support with solutions.
With the launch of our new £3.6 million Challenge Fund, I look
forward to seeing the innovative, workable ideas of experts so we
can help more families overcome difficulties and improve their
lives.
The main fund will be managed by Ecorys UK in coordination with
other government departments’ programmes including Family Hubs
and Supporting Families. Ecorys UK will review applications for
funding and oversee the delivery of final projects.
For more details about
applying to the Reducing Parental Conflict programme’s Challenge
Fund 2, please visit the website.
Further information
- The DWP’s Reducing Parental Conflict was launched in 2018 to
support children growing up around difficult relationships at
home – whether their parents are together or separated
- The Reducing Parental Conflict programme understands how
exposure to frequent, intense, and poorly resolved conflict can
lead to much poorer life outcomes for children – their
educational attainment, emotional and social development and
later life employability
- The programme seeks to address parental conflict below the
domestic abuse threshold
- The Government has committed up to £33 million to continue
running the programme between 2022 and 2025
- DWP’s research on Reducing
Parental Conflict
