A quiet revolution is underway in family justice. In this episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast, James Evans, Head of Strategic Growth at Nova and trustee of the newly launched Separated Parenting Programme Directory, explains why a long‑standing gap in support for separated families has finally been closed.
For years, high‑quality parenting programmes have existed across England and Wales, but parents and practitioners struggled to find them. Provision was patchy. Quality varied. And in an unregulated space, it was difficult to know which programmes genuinely helped families reduce conflict and protect children.
A new Separated Parenting Programme Directory (SPPD) changes that.
Evans sets out how a coalition of leading figures, including Helen Adam, Elizabeth Coe, Beverly Sayers and Denise Ingamells, came together to build the first national, quality‑assured directory of separated parenting programmes. Their goal: to give families clear, trusted routes to early intervention, and to give professionals confidence in what they are signposting.
The directory allows parents and practitioners to search by region, delivery style, cost and programme type. Crucially, every listed programme meets agreed standards developed by experts with decades of experience in mediation, child contact and co‑parenting support.
Evans argues that the timing is critical. With court delays worsening and non‑court dispute resolution becoming central to the Family Procedure Rules, early access to effective parenting programmes can prevent cases escalating into litigation. The evidence, he says, is clear: the earlier parents engage with structured support, the more likely they are to resolve issues without going to court.
But the work isn’t finished. The charity now needs funding, wider awareness, and more programme providers to join the directory. As Evans puts it, launching the platform is only “the first domino”.
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