Univa publishes its first ARFID outcomes report
Early findings from a national pilot with more than 100 families, and what they could mean for NHS ARFID pathways.
Univa has published its first ARFID outcomes report, Rethinking the ARFID care model: a digitally enabled needs-led ARFID care pathway. It sets out early findings from a national pilot of Univa’s ARFID Care Programme with more than 100 families between July and early September, and what they could mean for NHS children and young people’s services.
Families reported children trying and adopting new foods, more manageable mealtimes and, for some, eating more of what they were given. Parents and carers also described feeling more confident and reassured in how they support their child.
What the report found
- 86% of recorded food-exposure attempts were followed by reported willingness to try again.
- At six weeks, 83% of reporting families described weekly wins, including new food types, more manageable mealtimes, eating out and their child accepting food prepared by someone else.
- Half of reporting families said their child was better able to finish their portions.
- At First Steps ED, where Univa is part of the clinical workflow after triage, families used to wait three to four months to begin an ARFID intervention. They can now access the Univa programme on the same day.
Honestly, this is the best help I’ve had in four years, and I’m so grateful.
Why it matters for NHS services
NHS England’s national guidance on eating disorder services for children and young people, published in January 2026, calls on integrated care boards to develop and deliver ARFID pathways. The report looks at how a stepped-care model with a digital first step can support earlier access, better outcome recording and more equitable access, while clinical review, physical health monitoring and escalation stay with local teams.
It also includes family stories, which show what these changes look like at home. We are grateful to the families who shared their experiences so openly, and to the clinical, product, technology and research teams who built the programme and brought this evidence together.
Download the report
The report is free. Request it and we will email you a personal download link.
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