Staff perspectives on documenting change in low-threshold family services: A cross-sectional study

• Staff support using objective tools to document changes in low-threshold services. • Quarterly documentation is favored for tracking user progress over time. • Structural factors are easier to document than family functioning and parenting competence. • Staff observe positive changes in children’s social development and family dynamics. • Improved assessment tools are needed to capture relational and developmental changes. Low-threshold family services play a vital role in supporting families experiencing adversity, yet evaluating their outcomes remains a challenge. This cross-sectional study examined staff perspectives on assessing change among service users at Blue Cross Children’s Station, a low-threshold family support service operating across ten sites in Norway. A structured questionnaire combining closed- and open-ended items was completed by 64 of 69 staff members (93 % response rate). Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, and qualitative responses were explored using thematic content analysis. Staff emphasized the value of using structured assessment tools to document user progress, with quarterly registration viewed as appropriate by most. While socioeconomic indicators such as income and social networks were considered easier to document, factors such as parenting competence and family functioning were seen as both more meaningful and more difficult to assess. Staff most frequently reported observing positive changes in children’s social development and improved family dynamics. The findings underscore the need for validated, user-friendly tools that balance accountability requirements with the relational and developmental focus of low-threshold services.