Background Interventions aimed at high-need families have difficulty demonstrating short-term impact on child behaviour. Measuring impact on use of services could provide short-term indication of longer term benefits. Method During a feasibility pilot study we collected data on service use and attitudes to services from a small sample of parents from high-need families, before and after receiving the Helping Families Programme. Results Respondents provided a range of opinions on a variety of social and community services received. Conclusions The study demonstrates the potential of short-term changes in enhanced service use data for building hypotheses of longer term change.