“They felt the safe space”: Practitioner experiences of delivering Mellow Babies, a targeted, early intervention program for parents and their babies

Addressing inequalities in childhood and intergenerational mental health requires a holistic understanding of the interplay of multiple complex socio-contextual factors and their impacts on families and caregivers. Mellow Babies (MB) is a group-based parenting program that aims to improve both parent and child wellbeing by addressing barriers for parents facing multiple adversities. Although there is quantitative and qualitative evidence for MB as an effective intervention, there is less evidence on how practitioners experience the delivery of MB. Using thematic analysis, this study explored practitioner attitudes towards delivering the program, identifying the components and processes in MB that practitioners believed contributed to parental experiences and outcomes. In total, 19 focus groups were conducted across the UK, engaging 42 facilitators and creche workers. Three themes and ten sub-themes emerged from the data, highlighting active parent participation driven by a supportive environment, interactive strategies, and diverse activities. Practitioners generally believed participation in MB was beneficial for participants. They identified components of their role and service structure that supported the sessions including the flexible nature of their position which enabled trusting relationships; the environment which provided a comfortable learning and development space; and the group support structure and community setting.

Clinical trial registration: The study was registered with ISRCTN: Registration number ISRCTN17621046.