

Harmony at Home
Reducing Parental Conflict in partnership with organisations from our multi-agency reference group.

Harmony at Home is Worcestershire’s approach to the Reducing Parental Conflict (RPC) initiative in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and organisations from our multi-agency Reference group.
Parental conflict, which can range from a lack of warmth and emotional distance, right through to swearing and shouting, is known to be a risk factor for poor child outcomes, particularly when conflict is frequent, intense and poorly resolved. There is growing understanding and awareness of the need to address and reduce parental conflict that sits below a domestic abuse or violence threshold
Information and support for parents/carers
Harmony at Home understands all relationships can experience challenges, difficulties and breakdown, especially with the pressures of being a parent.
Conflict is natural within relationships, these pages have been designed specifically to support families with advice, tips and information for parents and carers who may be together, separating, divorced or co-parenting.
The following sections offer support and advice to parents based on individual needs:
Harmony at Home for professionals
This information has been co-produced with our partnership organisations specifically for practitioners working with parents in conflict.
Targeted specialist support for families whose parental relationship is in conflict
WCF have commissioned with the DWP Reducing Parental Conflict grant funding a targeted specialist service to work with parents whose parental relationship is in conflict (whether parenting together or apart). This is a 4 to 6 week programme for BOTH parents who have already completed the Harmony at home tools with a practitioner, AND whose relationship remains in conflict AND who wish for more specialist intervention.
Before referring a family please ensure you have read the criteria below, discussed it with both parents, and are clear this relationship is not domestic abuse, and both parents have committed to engage with the intervention
RPC criteria for referral for specialist service
- the family must have meaningfully engaged in an intervention prior to the referral for at least 4 weeks
- both parents must agree to the referral
- the family must reside in Worcestershire
- the child(ren) of the parents must be under the age 18 or (25 if have SEND)
- the relationship must have been identified as currently in conflict and not Domestic Abuse with no domestic abuse within the last 12 months
- the referrer must be able to continue to support the family whilst the specialist intervention takes place through learning shared by the specialist service to the referrer
- this will be through professional case discussions, which will take place whilst the specialist intervention is taking place
- the referrer should support the family to engage meaningfully with the specialist intervention
This service has limited capacity, therefore each referral will go through a panel process based on the criteria above. You will be informed if your referral has been accepted or returned with advice, within a month with relevant refers contacted by the specialist service if accepted.