Table 4 Participant quotes for Theme 3 "Factors that impact program delivery"

Each playgroup is unique

Kathryn:... the smaller playgroups worked better. So some playgroups [have] like 15 or more families. It was very, very hard to ever gather people together and to actually have a conversation together... So I do think the size of the playgroup made quite a difference... anywhere between five and ten was probably a nice size to actually gather together in that environment. (Peer facilitator)

Andrea: So, if they [children] were all outside, we had the conversations inside, and when they were inside, we had the conversation outside. So, it was just a matter of adjusting where the kids were. (Playgroup coordinator, focus group 2)

Felicity:... it worked well when you had a good playgroup facilitator [coordinator] that was really on board. Who was a little bit planned for it, I felt, that had also communicated well with their group. (Peer facilitator)

Timing of and between sessions

Kathryn: I'm a bit mixed again with the program... every second week. In some ways that was good, especially if there was families who maybe wanted to do their normal things and have a catch-up, that meant I wasn't there every week, but at the same time, I think every second week, especially if someone was away, they missed one week, then if they didn't catch me until the week after that, it would be a month since they had any contact. (Peer Facilitator)

Felicity: If it was the start of term, the first week all the parents are coming together and all they want to do is chit-chat, catch up. (Peer facilitator)

Group dynamics

Maria:... the group discussion, it sort of worked on some levels. But then I think also you get people that are you know, a bit nervous to ask a question in a bigger group, like they might feel more comfortable chatting one on one. (Playgroup coordinator, focus group 1)

Felicity: I think also the difference often was if the group was established as a group compared to, say a playgroup where you just felt like the parents weren't connected as much, so it was a little less open, possibly. (Peer facilitator)

Melanie: The playgroup was so large so not everybody, you might have your core couple of parents that, I don’t want to say cliquey... at one particular one there was a group that they went out socialising together... I could talk to that core group but then I’d have to go and have multiple conversations with people one on one because they weren’t part of that group or didn’t feel comfortable. (Peer facilitator)

Perceived need for the program

Maria: I felt like the people who were there were already people who were, you know thinking about having a healthy diet for their kids and getting enough exercise and that sort of thing... Whereas I know that there’s other playgroups where it probably would be really, really beneficial to them to have that kind of thing. (Playgroup coordinator, focus group 1)

Deanna: I had one playgroup this term where every session, the parents are so engaged and it’s like I don’t even have to be there. I just introduce the topic and they just talk about it, and they always bring up the key messages without me having to prompt them and I think, oh golly, have they read the manual or something? I don’t even need to be here. (Peer facilitator)

Jasmine:You could tell there was some families who didn’t want to be part of it. That’s not why they were coming to playgroup. They were just coming to playgroup to spend time playing with their child or it was just to have I guess more of a personal conversation with a friend. (Peer facilitator)

Melanie:It’s a bit hard because it’s just me seeking them and just trying to draw something out so yeah that’s probably the biggest challenges when you don’t, when you’ve got no one really interested which I would find interesting when a large number of people signed up for it but then when it came to the crunch they sort of weren’t. (Peer facilitator)

Competence of peer facilitator

Maria: But yeah I guess [Peer facilitator name] was very good in that she was flexible with how she approached it. (Playgroup coordinator, focus group 1)

Melanie: I think you have to be someone who is comfortable, [it] can be quite daunting going into these new, for the first week or two you’re a new face, a new person, so it can be daunting at times but most people are really lovely and open to the discussions which is nice, makes your job easier. (Peer facilitator)