Ngā Tau Mīharo o Aotearoa – Incredible Years Parenting Programme: Social Impact Report

The Incredible Years Parenting (IYP) programme is an internationally recognised parent management training programme. It is an evidence-based intervention designed to improve parental capabilities to promote emotional and social competence in children and to prevent, reduce and treat conduct problems. This report describes the social impact of the IYP Programme delivered by Te Whānau o Waipareira in New Zealand. It is one of the first Social Return on Investment (SROI) analyses to investigate the impact of the Incredible Years Parenting Programme (IYP) on Māori.

The objective of the study was to understand, measure and report the value created by the IYP programme. The study used the SROI framework, an internationally recognised, principles-based approach for understanding and measuring the broader concept of ‘value’ and incorporates social, environmental and economic impacts. SROI is developed from social accounting and cost-benefit analysis. It involve identifying and measuring outcomes and, where appropriate, applying financial proxies to represent those outcomes. The overall value of the outcomes is calculated and then compared to the investment required to generate them, indicating cost-effectiveness or Social Return on Investment.

The SROI analysis revealed the story of change and value created as a result of the IYP programme and its unique service delivery at Waipareira. The parents and caregivers experienced significant change because of the IYP programme. Some of the significant changes included:

• Being a better parent
• Improved parent-child relationships
• Family as a unit
• Reduced stress and improved mental well being
• Feeling worthy and confident

Through the IYP Programme, the parents and caregivers experience improvement in their child/children’s behaviour and socio-emotional and cognitive development. The facilitators / kaiārahi of the programme also show positive outcomes which include in regard to improved professional development, improved interpersonal relationships , being a better parent and Improved self-esteem.

The forecast value created over three years exceeds the investment. An estimated $484,196.25 is invested in the programme over three years and $1.8 million value creation by the programme at Waipareira is forecasted. This implies a SROI ratio of 3.75:1, that is, for every $1 invested into the programme, $3.75 of value is created. This is a conservative estimate and does not include the long term benefits to children and young adults, and the value that will be created for the government and other state agencies as a result.

This analysis provides robust evidence on the importance and impact of early intervention and parent management programmes for Māori. Furthermore, with the emergent commitment to child wellbeing in New Zealand, this report provides a compelling story to funders, investors, supporters and critics on the importance of early childhood interventions and the role of the family in early childhood development. It will inform and help shape the child wellbeing policies, strategy and resultant practices for our whānau.