G’day Prof!
November 2006One of the world’s leading pioneers of parenting strategies to deal with child behavioural problems has joined the Faculty as a visiting professor.
Professor Matt Sanders of the University of Queensland invented the ground-breaking ‘Triple P-Positive Parenting Programme,’ which helps parents develop skills to promote good child behaviour and emotional adjustment. Recently showcased in the ITV series Driving Mum and Dad Mad, the Programme promotes positive, caring relationships and the use of ‘evidence-based’ parenting strategies.
Visiting professor
Matt joins the School of Psychological Sciences as a part-time visiting professor, and will work with the University for at least two years.“My main objective is to establish a UK research unit focusing on parenting interventions backed by solid evidence,” he said. “Its research will hopefully strengthen the local evidence-base for parenting programmes, as well contribute important knowledge to the international literature.
“In my view everyone needs preparation to be a parent, but the evidence-informed interventions that are needed are currently lacking in the UK. This is very much a public health issue as inadequate parenting affects many aspects of a child’s life, including how healthy they are and whether they develop serious mental health problems, learning difficulties, antisocial behaviours and/or drug problems.
“Better parenting has to be part of tackling any of these problems properly.”
Research funding
A key aspect of Matt’s work will be the securing of funding for research, and he and SPS colleague Dr Rachel Calam have already identified four key collaborative projects with the Universities of Oxford and Queensland. They are also keen that their findings be communicated to parents and professionals in an ongoing way, via a well-planned media strategy.“It’s important that we make sound information on well-researched approaches available via the media, to try and counter the spin-driven coverage which currently dominates,” Matt says.
Matt expects to be based here for two to three periods each year, and - as well as setting-up a Triple P research-base in the UK - is keen to extend the international network of researchers in the field and help build service capacity to provide evidence-based parenting interventions.
“We’ve also just launched a trial of ‘Lifestyle Triple P’ in Stoke, which aims to tackle obesity in children,” he says. “So it looks like there’ll be plenty to keep me busy here in the UK!”
