Evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to support parents of disabled children to manage their child's behaviour problems is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate a group-delivered intervention (Riding the Rapids) which was specifically developed for parents of a child with a disability or autistic spectrum condition. This programme has been routinely delivered by a community-based mental health team across an urban, multi-ethnic locality for a number of years. A non-randomised controlled study design comprising an intervention group (n=48) and comparator (no intervention) group (n=28) was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention on child behaviour (Eyberg Child Behaviour Inventory; parent-set goals) and parenting efficacy and satisfaction (Parents Sense of Competence Scale) at post-intervention and six-month follow-up. Data on costs to the service provider of delivering the intervention were also collected. Receipt of the intervention was associated with significant reductions in parent-reported behaviour problems and significant improvements in parenting efficacy and satisfaction. At six-month follow-up, progress towards achieving parent-set child behaviour goals and parenting satisfaction had been maintained. Post hoc analysis suggests parents who do not have English as a first language may not benefit as much as other parents from this intervention. Findings suggest this is a promising intervention for parents of a child with a disability that is likely to be less resource intensive to service providers than individually delivered interventions. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

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The research reported here was commissioned by the Centre for Excellence and Outcomes (C4EO) D E D E T and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department for Education. We would like to thank all the families who took the time to complete our research questionnaires and speak to us about their experiences. Conflict of Interest statement AM was involved in developing Cygnet. His contribution to the paper has been solely the detailed description of the intervention and its development and critical revisions. AM was not involved in any of the data collection, analysis or interpretation.

Awareness is growing that young adults may have distinctive experiences of adult healthcare and that their needs may differ from those of other adult users. In addition, the role of adult health teams in supporting positive transitions from paediatrics is increasingly under discussion. This paper contributes to these debates. It reports a qualitative study of the experiences of young adults -all with complex chronic health conditions -as users of adult health services. Key fi ndings from the study are reported, including an exploration of factors that help to explain interviewees' experiences. Study fi ndings are discussed in the context of existing evidence from young adults in adult healthcare settings and theories of 'young adulthood'. Implications for training and practice are considered, and priorities for future research are identifi ed.

These findings, which contribute to the international evidence-base on health care support workers roles, provide nurse managers with numbers of assistant practitioners and their deployment. This is useful for Nurse Managers making workforce decisions.