Children and young people affected by parental mental illness are recognised as being at risk of experiencing mental health problems themselves. This review explores approaches that have been implemented by mental health services to identify these families and to gauge whether these approaches have been effective. A literature search was conducted that identified a number of approaches being used in clinical practice, with most studies reporting positive outcomes. The three main themes drawn from the literature are: identification of families, knowledge, attitude and skills of staff, and changes to clinical practice.