Barriers to inclusion and successful engagement of parents in mainstream services: evidence and research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the current evidence base on barriers to inclusion and successful engagement of parents in mainstream preventive services. Design/methodology/approach – Evidence was generated using a narrative review which uses different primary studies from which conclusions are produced into holistic interpretations. It provides an interpretative synthesis of findings based upon an exhaustive inclusion and exclusion criteria and systematic selection of literature. Findings – The paper identifies barriers to successful engagement as: structural; social and cultural; and suspicion and stigma. In terms of successful engagement, it identifies personal relations between staff and service users, practical issues, service culture, consultation, information and targeting, service delivery, and community development and co-production approaches. Research limitations/implications – The paper demonstrates that the evidence base is limited and not adequately theoretically grounded. ...