Project SFP Cymru

A cluster randomised controlled trial of the Strengthening Families 10-14 UK programme.

The use of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs by young people impacts on their health in the short and long term, and is also associated with antisocial behaviour, crime and drop out from school.

Many of the factors which protect young people from misusing drugs and alcohol, or put them at greater risk of doing so, are linked to family life and parenting.

The Strengthening Families 10-14 UK programme aims to strengthen these protective factors (parenting, communication, and young people’s resilience skills) and simultaneously reduce key risk factors that are located within families.

Research in the United States has found some evidence that the SFP10-14 delays and reduces substance use (alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs) by young people.

This study will examine whether the results found in the US translate to a UK context, and will also address the methodological limitations of previous studies. It will identify whether the programme delays or reduces substance use, and collect information that will help in wider implementation of the programme if successful.

The Strengthening Families Programme will be delivered in six local areas across Wales, and will be offered to a mix of families with low and higher needs (e.g. in relation to child behaviour and family functioning).