Today marks a significant moment for the Race Equality Foundation and for everyone who has been part of Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities (SFSC). The main findings from the TOGETHER study have now been published in The Lancet Public Health, one of the world’s leading public health journals, providing robust evidence of the programme’s impact on families across England.

For me, and for colleagues across the Foundation, this is more than a publication. It is the culmination of many years of practice, partnership, and a shared belief that community-led, inclusive approaches can deliver real and lasting change for families.

The TOGETHER study achieved something that many community-based trials struggle to do – it successfully recruited and retained a large and diverse group of parents across multiple sites. And this was in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic which interrupted the delivery of all services, including parenting programmes. Incredibly, TOGETHER saw 670 parents participate, from 34 programme locations — a scale that is rare in trials of this kind.

This is significant because too often research, particularly randomised controlled trials, fail to include the very communities most affected by inequality. TOGETHER shows that it is possible to do things differently. The study reached families from a wide range of backgrounds: 62% from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic groups, around half speaking a first language other than English, and many living on low incomes. This reflects what we have consistently seen in our 25 years of delivery: SFSC does not struggle to engage these families, it is designed with them, for them, and alongside the communities they are part of.

The findings clearly demonstrate that parents who took part in SFSC reported significantly improved mental wellbeing both immediately after the programme and six months later. There were also improvements in parenting practices, family relationships, and children’s social and emotional wellbeing, and importantly, these benefits were seen across ethnic and socioeconomic groups. At a time when there are legitimate concerns that universal interventions can fail to reach or benefit those facing the greatest disadvantage, this is a crucial finding. It shows that universal provision can also be equitable if it is designed and delivered in the right way.

This is reflected in parents’ own experiences:

“Taking part in the programme really changed how we communicate and support each other as parents and as a couple.

It helped us understand our children and each other better and feel more confident in how we handle challenges day to day.

Also just being that support for one another. Connecting with other families and reflecting on our different cultures and values was a big part of that. It’s made a real difference to our family life.”

This study does more than demonstrate effectiveness; it helps explain how equitable research can be done in practice. The outcomes seen in TOGETHER were not incidental, they reflect the combination of a programme that is inclusive by design and an approach to research that prioritised community partnership, lived experience, and delivery in real-world settings.

SFSC has always been designed to engage families who are often under-served by mainstream provision, including through delivery in community settings, use of community languages, and a strong emphasis on relevance and accessibility. The study built on this foundation, ensuring that inclusion was not treated as an additional component, but embedded throughout recruitment, delivery, and evaluation.

Alongside the main findings, additional analysis from the study highlights the importance of neighbourhood belonging and social cohesion in supporting family wellbeing. Stronger connections within communities were associated with better parental mental health, reinforcing the importance of approaches that recognise families as part of wider social contexts, not just as individuals.

This publication reflects the contribution of many people. We are grateful to our partners in statutory services who supported delivery across different local systems, and to our voluntary and community sector partners whose relationships, trust, and commitment made it possible to reach families who are often under-served.

Central to the study was the role of parent voice. Our Parent Advisory Groups, and Karlet Manning as PPI co-investigator, shaped the study throughout, not just advising, but influencing how it was delivered and understood. Their contribution ensured that the research prioritised lived experience and remained accountable to the communities it sought to serve. For me, this has been one of the most important aspects of the study. It demonstrates that when lived experience is taken seriously, it strengthens both the research and its impact. I will explore this further in a forthcoming piece focused specifically on the role of PPI within the study.

And, of course, this would not have been possible without either the research team who really brought a spirit of collaboration to the trial, and most importantly the SFSC team: facilitators, programme staff, and colleagues across the Foundation who worked to deliver high-quality programmes while contributing to a complex and demanding research study.

What happens next?

This publication is a major milestone, but it is not the end point. The evidence from TOGETHER has already contributed to SFSC being included in the Department for Education’s list of Evidence-Based Interventions for Family Hubs. We are also continuing to work with Foundations and NESTA to ensure that local authorities and commissioners understand the strength of the evidence base and what it means for practice.

We know that SFSC works, we know it can be delivered in real-world settings, and we know it can reach families who are too often excluded from both services and research. The priority now is to scale up delivery so that more families can benefit, particularly those facing the greatest disadvantage.

Leandra Box is is Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Programmes at the Race Equality Foundation. Leandra leads on the Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities (SFSC) parenting programme and manages the SFSC team.