Evaluation of the impact of the MECSH programme in England: A mixed methods study

Abstract

The Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home-visiting (MECSH) programme is a proven, structured intervention from pregnancy or up to 8 weeks after the infant comes home until child age 2, delivered to universal partnership plus or targeted families on each health visitor's caseload. The aim of the study was to show how the MECSH programme, developed in Australia, impacts families in England. The study employed mixed methods including: client demographic data gathered by record audit; parent report data; health visitor focus group; and written testimonies from health visitors and clients. A small comparative study was conducted in one site. The programme reached a diverse range of families. Programme parent-reported measures met quality standards and were higher than in control sites. Health visitors and clients perceived multiple positive parent and child impacts. These positive results support the ongoing implementation of MECSH in England, and warrant further study in a population level trial.