Restorative Parenting: Delivering Trauma-Informed Residential Care for Children in Care

Abstract

Background There are 78,150 children in care in England and 12% live in group residential settings. Little empirical research informs our understanding of how these vulnerable children heal from multi-type trauma in residential homes. Evidence-based multisystemic trauma-informed models of care are needed for good quality consistent care. Objective Using a novel multisystemic trauma-informed model of care with an embedded developmental monitoring index, the Restorative Parenting Recovery Programme, pilot data was collected from young people and care staff from four residential homes over a two-year period. Five key developmental areas of children’s recovery were investigated through monthly monitoring data. Staff were also interviewed to explore their experiences of delivering the intervention to contextualise the findings. Methods Data was gathered from 26 children, aged 6–14 years, over a two-year period. Their developmental wellbeing was measured using the Restorative Parenting Recovery Index and analysed through a comparison of means. To add further context to this preliminary analysis, qualitative interviews were undertaken with 12 Therapeutic Parents to explore their perceptions of how the Restorative Parenting Recovery Programme influenced the children’s development. Results Young people showed significant improvements on indices relating to relationships (p = 0.002, d=0.844). Significant changes are observed during the first half of the programme in self-perception (p = 0.006, d = 0.871) and self-care (p = 0.018, d = 0.484), although limited progress around self-awareness and management of impulses and emotions. Conclusions This novel integrative approach to re-parenting and embedded measurement system to track the children’s progress is the first of its kind and has originated from extensive multisystemic clinical practice.

Web-Based Parent Training in Parents with Adolescents Admitted to Psychiatric Residential Treatment: A Mixed-Methods Study

“…Parent training is one evidence-based method of supporting parents through teaching parents strategies to mitigate disruptive behaviors. Previously, parent training in the RT setting has been delivered to staff rather than parents (Parris et al, 2015 ; Parry et al, 2021 ; Silva et al, 2016 ). Most of the parent training programs delivered to parents have been delivered in-person, posing several barriers to participation (Baker et al, 2011 ; Duppong-Hurley et al, 2016 ; Garvey et al, 2006 ).…”

“…Although parent training programs have been regarded as a promising strengths-based approach to engaging families in RT (Maltais et al, 2019 ), few have tested parent training programs with parents in the RT setting. Those that have described delivering in-person parent training to RT staff rather than parents (Parris et al, 2015 ; Parry et al, 2021 ; Silva et al, 2016 ). One notable intervention with a parent training component in the RT setting is On the Way Home (Trout et al, 2012 ).…”

Rebuilding the workplace to promote young workers' mental health

“…For example, to feel valued, a sense of belongingness and to feel emotionally supported at work (Parry, 2017) are human needs, not necessarily specific to certain caring professions. Further, multisystemic approaches and organisation-wide responsibility for staff support are likely to be more effective than tasking individual managers or managerial levels with staff wellbeing (Parry et al. , 2021).…”

Reflections from the forgotten frontline: ‘The reality for children and staff in residential care’ during COVID‐19

“…This requires the practitioner to attune, sustain empathy and connect emotionally. These become extremely difficult tasks when feeling burnt out and emotionally exhausted (Parry et al, 2021).…”

“…Further, when training and support is provided to staff to enhance the therapeutic milieu and interactions with children, this can directly enhance the children's sense of self and quality of other relationships (Holden et al, 2010). However, the workforce has been largely overlooked in terms of research and it is recognised that much more research is required to inform evidence-based service development and professional training across the looked-after children's sector (Haggman-Laitila et al, 2019;Parry et al, 2021).…”