Guidance Notes for Pilot
October 2025
An Introduction to the HATCAT by
Clinical Psychologist Dr Angharad Rudkin (Oxon)
Overview
Firstly and most importantly, thank you for taking part in this pilot. We really appreciate your time in helping us to refine this tool in order to roll it out to those working in the family separation space. The HATCAT (How Are The Children? Assessment Tool) is an evidence based tool to guide conversations between a parent and a professional in a non-confrontational way. It will help identify how a child is doing and signpost parents for further support through our “7 principles booklet".
Objective
To make available an evidence based and high-quality collaborative tool to help children’s needs be thought
about and addressed in a helpful way at every stage of a family separation.
The Pilot
The aim of the pilot is to help us see whether the administration of the HATCAT works and if there is anything else that can make the tool or the process more helpful for professionals and parents.
To Get You Started
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here is the link to the questionnaire that parents will fill in - have a go to see how it works
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this link takes you to the ‘7 Principles, Happy Children, Happy Families' booklet- again we suggest that you familiarise yourself with this resource
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see draft email to the parent/client below
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a summary of the evidence behind the "7 Principles booklet" below
The Questionnaire
A few words about 'scoring' the questionnaire. We were conscious of the need not to leave parents feeling deflated while also alerting them to areas where their child might be better supported. We went for a sliding scale rather than numbers and a neutral colour scheme. No parent 'fails'. We have taken the view that when a parent is taking professional advice and willing to take part in a child-focussed project like this, they are half way there. No parent will see the sliding scale below the halfway point. We will be reviewing this methodology both during and after the pilot.
There are no right or wrong answers and the HATCAT is at its most useful when parents feel they can be honest about their experiences. Top of the head answers tend to be the most informative. Invite the parent to complete the questionnaire with you OR send them a copy of the email (below) encouraging them to forward you a copy of the summary. The survey should take no more than 5 minutes to complete.
Introducing The HATCAT To Your Client
When you introduce the HATCAT to your clients we are keen for you to stress the following 4 things:
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it's not compulsory
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no details will be shared
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it should be presented as a positive experience not a test!
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OnlyMums & Dads are a registered not-for-profit organisation and participation will help support many thousands of children as this project comes to fruition
The Ensuing Conversation Between You And Your Client
We hope the process of taking part in the HATCAT initiates informed conversations around the needs of the child it is these conversations which make a difference.
Important
Please note the HATCAT is not suitable for parents in high conflict or for children under 3 years old.
Suggested Email To Client
Dear
As I mentioned to you we are running a pilot project with the national social enterprise, OnlyMums & Dads.
The aim of the project is to help parents working with professionals to focus more on the needs of the child. The pilot involves a short questionnaire which is not a test and will not be shared; it is simply an exercise that gets you to focus on how your children are doing through this separation process and may bring up things that you want to discuss further with your professional advisor.
You can complete the questionnaire with me when we next meet or you can complete it in your own time by following this* (to be added) link. Either way, it should take no more than 5 minutes.
When you have completed the questionnaire you will receive a summary that includes a link to the ‘7 Principles for Happy Children, Happy Families” booklet which is full of really useful tips and information.
We hope you find this useful and I look forward to talking to you further.
Feedback
We will send out feedback forms at the end of the pilot. They will be short - we promise! In more general terms, we welcome any thoughts you may have about this model and way of doing things. Your opinions, as professionals working at the coalface, will be greatly appreciated. Feel free to contact us at any
time bob@onlydads.org.
Thank you again for your time, we couldn’t do this project without your support.
Angharad, Rebecca & Bob
October 2025
Academic References
Note: there are multiple and varied evidence sources. These are examples of key findings in the area and are not meant to be an exhaustive list. If you have any questions about this evidence or would like to find out more please contact arudkin@startmail.com
Ribas, L.H., Montezano, B.B., Nieves, M.Kampmann, L.B. & Jansen, K (2024) The role of parental stress on emotional and behavioral problems in offspring - a systematic review with meta-analysis. Jornal de Pediatria, Volume 100, Issue 6, Pages 565-585. ISSN 0021-7557.
1. Children do better when their parents are not feeling stressed.
Hattangadi, N., Cost, K.T., Birken, C.S. et al. (2020) Parenting stress during infancy is a risk factor for mental health problems in 3-year-old children. BMC Public Health 20, 1726.
Barreto S, Wang S, Guarnaccia U, Fogelman N, Sinha R, Chaplin TM. (2024) Parent Stress and Observed Parenting in a Parent-Child Interaction Task in a Predominantly Minority and Low-Income Sample. Arch Pediatr (Lisle). 9(1):308. doi: 10.29011/2575-825x.100308.
Nomaguchi K, Milkie MA. (2020) Parenthood and Well-Being: A Decade in Review. J MarriageFam. 82(1):198-223. doi: 10.1111/jomf.12646.
LoBue, V. (2022) How Parental Stress Can Affect a Child's Health. How stress gets under the skin. Psychology Today.
2. Children do better when they have a meaningful life.
Shoshani, A. & Russo-Netzer, P. (2017) Exploring and assessing meaning in life in elementary school children: Development and validation of the meaning in life in children questionnaire (MIL-CQ). Personality and Individual Differences, Volume 104, Pages 460-465, ISSN 0191-8869.
Boelens M, Smit MS, Raat H, Bramer WM, Jansen W. (2021)
Impact of organized activities on mental health in children and adolescents: An umbrella review. Prev Med Rep. 27;25:101687. Doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101687. PMID: 35127362; PMCID: PMC8800068.
Harris, R (2022) The Happiness Trap. Stop struggling, start living 2nd Ed. Little Brown Book Group.
3. Children do better when they have parents who are authoritative.
Hayek J, Schneider F, Lahoud N, Tueni M, de Vries H. (2022) Authoritative parenting stimulates academic achievement, also partly via self-efficacy and intention towards getting good grades. PLoS One. 17(3):e0265595. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265595. PMID: 35353817; PMCID: PMC8967044
Vasiou A, Kassis W, Krasanaki A, Aksoy D, Favre CA, Tantaros S. (2023) Exploring Parenting StylesPatterns and Children's Socio-Emotional Skills. Children (Basel). 29;10(7):1126. doi: 10.3390/children10071126. PMID: 37508623; PMCID: PMC10378631.
Lavrič, M & Naterer, A (2020) The power of authoritative parenting: A cross-national study of effects of exposure to different parenting styles on life satisfaction. Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 116,ISSN 0190-7409
Langer, S.L, Crain, A.L, Senso, M.M, Levy, R.L & Sherwood N.E. (2014) Predicting child physicalactivity and screen time: parental support for physical activity and general parenting styles. J Pediatr Psychol.39(6):633-42. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsu021. Epub 2014 May 8. PMID: 24812256; PMCID: PMC4092246.
Grey, E.B., Atkinson, L., Chater, A. Gahagan, A.,Tran, A. & Gillison, F.B. (2022) A systematic reviewof the evidence on the effect of parental communication about health and health behaviours on children's health and wellbeing, Preventive Medicine, Volume 159, 107043, ISSN 0091-7435.
4. Children do better when they and their parents have a supportive network of friends, families, acquaintances, community leaders.
Hosokawa R, & Katsura T. (2024) Association between parents' perceived social support and children's psychological adjustment: a cross-sectional study. BMC Pediatr. 21;24(1):756. doi: 10.1186/s12887-024 05235-7. PMID: 39567953;PMCID: PMC11580202.
Birrell, L., Werner-Seidler, A., Davidson, L., Andrews, J.L & Slade, T. (2025) Social connection as a key target for youth mental health. Mental Health & Prevention, Volume 37, 200395, ISSN 2212-6570
University of Sunderland (2022) Struggling families find hope in support network
5. Children do better when they have stable and high self-esteem.
Orth U, Robins RW. (2022) Is high self-esteem beneficial? Revisiting a classic question. Am Psychol. 77(1):5 17. doi: 10.1037/amp0000922. PMID: 35357851; PMCID: PMC9306298.
Orth U, Robins RW. (2022) The benefits of self- esteem: Reply to Krueger et al. (2022) and Brummelman (2022). Am Psychol. 77(1):23-25. doi: 10.1037/amp0000969. PMID: 35357854; PMCID: PMC9310667.
Katsantonis, I, McLellan, R. & Marquez, J (2023). Development of subjective well-being and itsrelationship with self-esteem in early adolescence. British Journal of Developmental Psychology. Volume41, Issue2, Pages 157-171
Brummelman, E & Sedikides, C (2020) Raising Children With High Self-Esteem (But Not Narcissism). Child Development Perspectives. Volume14, Issue2, Pages 83-89.
6. Children do better when they are given time and attention by the adults who care for them.
Li D, Guo X. (2023) The effect of the time parents spend with children on children's well-being. Front Psychol. 14:1096128. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1096128. PMID: 37077856; PMCID: PMC10106685.
Hedges JH, Adolph KE, Amso D, Bavelier D, Fiez JA, Krubitzer L, McAuley JD, Newcombe NS, Fitzpatrick SM, Ghajar, J (2013) Play, attention, and learning: how do play and timing shape the development of attention and influence classroom learning? Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1292(1):1-20. doi: 10.1111/nyas.12154. Epub 2013 Jun 13. PMID:23763338; PMCID: PMC3842829.
ONS (2021) Children’s views on well-being and what makes a happy life, UK: 2020
Gerhardt, S (2015) Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby's Brain. Routledge.
7. Children do better when there is continuity of care and few changes in home and school.
Sabel CE, Pedersen CB, Antonsen S, Webb RT, Horsdal HT. (2024) Changing Neighborhood Income Deprivation Over Time, Moving in Childhood, and Adult Risk of Depression. JAMA Psychiatry. 81(9):919–927. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.1382
Morris, T., Manley, D., Northstone, K & Sabel, C.E. (2017) How do moving and other major life events impact mental health? A longitudinal analysis of UK children. Health & Place, Volume 46, Pages 257-266, ISSN 1353-8292
MacArthur Foundation. Policy Research Brief: Is Moving During Childhood Harmful?