Key Statistics
A plain guide to the household and service figures used to understand family engagement, and how to read them with care.
What the figures measure
Statistics about families describe patterns across many households rather than the circumstances of any single one. They are most useful when they show how often a need arises, how services are used, and where support is missing. Each figure answers a narrow question, and the question should be stated before the number is quoted.
Counting engagement
Engagement is difficult to count directly. Practitioners often record attendance, the number of contacts, or the number of families reached. These measures show activity, but they do not show whether a parent felt listened to or made a change at home. For that reason, service records are best read alongside what families say about their own experience.
Reading household data
When a figure is reported, note who was counted, over what period, and how families came to be included. A count of families who attended one session is different from a count of families who returned for a second. Small groups can change sharply from one year to the next, so a single change should be treated as a prompt to look further, not as a conclusion.
- State the population the figure describes.
- Give the time period and the date of collection.
- Say whether the figure is a count, a rate, or an average.
Trends over time
A trend is more reliable when it is seen across several collection points and when the method has stayed the same. Changes in how a service records contact can look like changes in family need. Before comparing years, check that definitions and recording practices match.
Examples in practice
The two images below show common settings where engagement is recorded: a family learning session and a shared room used for drop-in support.
Where to read next
The following pages explain how statistics connect to evidence and to the support offered to families in different circumstances.