Supporting vulnerable families: an evaluation of Newpin

Newpin (the New Parent Infant Network) was set up in 1980 to provide support for vulnerable families. But according to a new study, while nearly half the women referred to four Newpin centres went on to make use of its services, a larger proportion did not: either the support package offered was felt to be inappropriate, or the referral was inappropriate, or the women were simply lost to the system. Ann Oakley et al argue that voluntary sector initiatives should be subjected to the same rigorous scrutiny for cost-effectiveness as the statutory sector.