Introduction
Thank you for your interest in being part of our online parent advisory group. Your participation will help us to explore what it is like to be a parent with hybrid working arrangements – that is, when you split your working time between home and your workplace. We want to understand how families manage childcare alongside this way of working, and what helps or makes things harder.Â
This short screening questionnaire will ask you a few questions about yourself to make sure you are eligible to take part. We will then be in touch with further information if you are selected to take part.
Your responses to this questionnaire and in the online parent advisory group themselves will be kept entirely confidential.
Meetings will be held in February 2026, July 2026, February 2027 and November 2027. Everyone who takes part will receive a £20 shopping voucher for each meeting attended.
Who are we?
The research is funded by the Nuffield Foundation and is being carried out by the University of York, charities Coram Family and Childcare and Working Families, and researcher Ivana La Valle. The research will last for three years. You can find out more about the project on the study webpage.Â
Why are we running advisory groups?Â
Hybrid working has increased since Covid-19, but we know very little on how this works out for families and what are the advantages and disadvantages for mothers, fathers and children. We hope the research will help to improve balancing childcare with hybrid work.Â
We are looking for parents with experience of balancing work and childcare to take part in an advisory group. The group will meet four times – twice a year for two years. The group will meet online. Â
Who should register their interest in the advisory group?Â
To take part, you will need to currently be in paid work. You will also need to have at least one child aged between 0 and 5 years old.
How will the advisory group meet?Â
The advisory group will be held online. We will provide you with a link in advance to help you access the meeting. Support will be available before and during the meeting to ensure that it is accessible to you. If you would like support on how to access the meeting, please contact Tamsin on Tamsin.Hutton@coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk.Â
What will the group discuss?Â
We would like the group to give advice, support and challenge at various points of the research. This will include helping us develop questionnaires for parents and things like written reports and blogs, to tell others about our findings. You may be offered the chance to give extra help in between meetings but this will be your choice, you do not have to agree to give extra time outside of the four meetings. We may send you information to read before meetings.  Â
Who will be there?
A member of staff from Coram Family and Childcare alongside the researchers will run the group and ask questions. Tamsin will be your main contact. The rest of the attendees will all be parents. There will be a maximum of 15 parents in the group but there may be fewer, depending on how many can make it.Â
How will information from the advisory group be used?
The information you provide will help to challenge the research.Â
How will my data be used and protected?
Your answers will be stored in our secure folder. A full description of our data protection policy for this project is provided below.
Please read this before filling in the questionnaire below.Â
Any more questions?
If you have any questions or would like more information about this research, please contact Tamsin on Tamsin.Hutton@coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk.Â