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Many people notice when families around them are struggling. They want to help, but often feel unsure how to step in, worried about overstepping boundaries, or uncertain whether their support would be welcome. We know from existing research that many are uncomfortable making formal reports to statutory services when they are concerned about a child or family, and would prefer to offer informal supportive actions instead, such as helping with meals or childcare (Radcliffe et al, 2023).

The NSPCC’s Small acts, big impact: how communities can support families through everyday challenges explores these dilemmas, and the reasons that can impact someone’s willingness to offer and/or receive a supportive action.

In October 2025, the NSPCC published Small acts, big impact: how communities can support families through everyday challenges, a major piece of research exploring public attitudes towards early, preventative help for families, and how this can support efforts to prevent abuse and neglect.

We asked 6,609 adults across the UK to share their views on what we described as ‘supportive actions’ through a single online survey. Supportive actions were defined as simple acts that can help families and children cope with difficult times, such as struggling financially, accessing suitable transport to attend appointments, or managing poor health that affects day-to-day life.

The NSPCC believes that keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility, and the research findings suggest that many members of the public share this view. Participants expressed a strong willingness both to offer and to receive support, alongside a belief that small acts of kindness can help children and prevent small problems turning into bigger ones.

Overall, 93% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that supportive actions can help families and children. Two-thirds (66%) said they would feel comfortable offering personal support by reaching out directly to a family, for example by listening or offering emotional support. Practical help was also viewed positively, with over half of participants (55%) saying they would feel comfortable offering support such as babysitting, preparing meals, helping with transport, or assisting with tasks around the home.

Only a small proportion of participants – 183 of the 6,609 surveyed (3%) – said they would not offer supportive actions. Among this group, the most common reason (47%) was feeling that it was not “their job” to get involved in other people’s personal problems.

The research also explored how open people would be to receiving support themselves. Participants who had direct involvement with children (63%) reported that they would feel most comfortable being offered personal support for their family, such as someone being there to listen (67%). This was closely followed by offers of practical help, including babysitting, preparing meals, transport support, or help around the house (57%).

One of the most striking findings was how strongly age shaped people’s willingness to offer support. Participants were far more likely to imagine helping families with younger children than those with teenagers, suggesting not a lack of concern, but rather an uncertainty about how to support older children. While 72% said they would offer support to households with children aged 1–10 years, this dropped to 63% for households with children aged 11–16 years.

However, when participants were later presented with a hypothetical scenario describing a situation in a teenager’s life where support could be offered, willingness to help increased. Participants were more likely to direct support towards parents or carers rather than offering help directly to the young person. When asked what would motivate them to support an older child, the most common responses were knowing the family personally (57%), feeling confident about how to speak to an older child (42%), and understanding the issues older children may face and the potential impacts on their mental and emotional wellbeing (40%).

Taken together, these findings provide valuable insight into public attitudes towards supportive actions. They reveal a strong appetite for offering and receiving help, alongside optimism about the difference small acts can make in families’ lives. The research also deepens understanding of the barriers people face, particularly around confidence, boundaries, and uncertainty about how best to offer support.

The next stage of the NSPCC’s research programme will focus on peer-to-peer help-seeking and support among boys and young men. This work will explore young people’s own perspectives, preferences, and knowledge around support, helping to address some of the uncertainties identified in this study and contributing to the wider goal of ensuring that children and young people feel safe, heard, and supported.

You can read the full Small acts, big impact report here.