Amy Ford is the author of the Up2U suite of behaviour change programmes first developed and delivered in 2014.

There are now 5 Up2U programmes that practitioners can use to facilitate behaviour change in adults, children and young people and families. The programmes are used by several organisations in England and Scotland and it is delivered in the following services:

Children’s Social Care
Early Help Services
Youth Services
Adult Social Care
Criminal Justice
Schools and Education
Domestic Abuse Services
Recovery/Addiction Services
Mental Health
Family Nurse Partnership
Health Visitors

The ‘Up2U’ approach is trauma informed and utilises cognitive behavioural therapy and transactional analysis to provide a relational approach routed in a motivational style of delivery.

There are currently 5 Up2U programmes tailored to match different client groups:

Domestic Abuse

ProgrammeTarget Client Group
Up2U: Creating Healthy Relationships 2 (Up2U: CHR 2) first developed in 2014, new version developed in 2023People who use domestic abuse in their relationships (perpetrators)
Up2U: My Choice (Up2U: MC) developed in 2017For people who have experienced domestic abuse (victims) who struggle to regulate their emotions and/or use unhealthy behaviours in their relationships

Adults in Unhealthy Relationships

ProgrammeTarget Client Group
Up2U: Family Practice (Up2U: FP) developed in 2020For adults who struggle to regulate their emotions and/or use unhealthy behaviours in their relationships. This can be used with parents/carers in the Children and Families sector and with adults (with no or grown-up children) in Adult Services including Mental Health and Recovery/Addiction services.

Families in Need

ProgrammeTarget Client Group
Up2U: Family Practice (Up2U: FP) developed in 2020For families and/or individual family members who struggle to regulate their emotions and/or have unhealthy family relationships. For parents/carers this can include parental conflict, neglect, emotional or physical behaviours towards children, unhealthy parenting, unhealthy relationships with other adults and children. For children and young people this can include conflict with parents/carers, unhealthy relationships with parents/carers and siblings and for children and young people struggling to regulate their emotions.

Children and Young People

ProgrammeTarget Client Group
Up2U: Youth developed in 2021For children and young people who struggle to regulate their emotions, have unhealthy relationships and/or use unhealthy behaviours towards parents/carers, siblings, peers, in romantic relationships and other children, young people or adults. Up2U: Youth is also suitable for children and young people at risk of/involved in offending, violence, criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation, anti-social behaviour, and bullying.

Criminal Justice

ProgrammeTarget Client Group
Up2U: Managing Emotions and Relationships (Justice Services) developed in 2023For offenders who struggle to regulate their emotions and/or use unhealthy behaviours in their relationships.

Recognition for Up2U: Creating Healthy Relationships

Up2U: Creating Healthy Relationships delivery in Renfrewshire Council Criminal Justice Team won the 2017 Scottish Social Services Award for ‘Making Research and Evidence Real’.

Up2U: Creating Healthy Relationships was cited as a Key Strength in the Ofsted 2019 Joint Area Child Protection Inspection.

Bespoke Programmes

All Up2U programmes can be adapted to meet the needs of different client groups.

Bespoke programmes can be developed if the needs of the current programmes are not addressed.

Please get in touch for more information about the Up2U programmes

Contact Programmes2Change

If you have a question or would like to discuss working together, please get in touch.