The Springfield Project service: evaluation of a Solihull Approach course for foster carers

The implementation of the National Transfer Scheme, whereby local authorities across the UK are encouraged to voluntarily receive unaccompanied young asylum seekers, has prompted a necessary focus on the training needs of those caring for this population. As agencies consider how to build their capacity to support unaccompanied young people, this study set out to learn from the experiences and views of foster carers, in order to inform the development of effective carer training and support. Eight semi-structured interviews were undertaken with foster carers who have cared for unaccompanied young people in one county in the South West of England. The findings draw attention not only to the potential benefits of training focused specifically on fostering unaccompanied young people, but also reveal aspects of the impact that limited access to training and support can have upon carers. The findings shed light on the carers' experiences of encountering 'unknown' factors and allow new insight into the networks they had developed over time to enhance their ability to access information and support as new challenges arise. Possible implications for local authorities and fostering agencies are considered.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fostering unaccompanied asylum seeking young people: the views of foster carers on their training and support needs

Sidery

2019

“…This focuses on containment, reciprocity and behaviour management. Later, this programme was further developed for foster carers with promising results (Harris-Waller, Bangerh and Douglas, 2018; Madigan, Paton and Mackett, 2017). The Secure Base Model was also emerging, with a focus on helping children to feel secure with foster carers or adopters (Schofield and Beek, 2014) and in the USA, the Circles of Security programme has been a highly successful attachment theory-based programme for birth families aimed at improving the attachment relationship offered by the parents (Cooper, et al., 2005).…”

Section: Comparison With Other Parenting Programmesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The development of DDP-informed parenting groups for parents and carers of children looked after or adopted from care

Golding

2019

This article describes the development of two parenting groups -Nurturing Attachments (Golding, 2014) and Foundations for Attachment (Golding, 2017). Both programmes are informed by the Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) model developed by Dan Hughes in the USA (Hughes, 2011;Hughes, Golding and Hudson, 2019). The groups were devised to provide much needed support for foster, residential and kinship carers and adopters parenting children and young people of all ages. Participants express high satisfaction upon attending the groups and in the most recent evaluations, report positive and statistically significant changes to their self-efficacy, competence and reflective function. This is despite the continuing challenges presented by the children and the high levels of stress experienced by many parents. The groups are part of the package of support which these carers and parents require, and can supplement individual parenting support and therapeutic interventions as needed. As the development of the groups has been grounded in the experience of foster carers and adoptive parents, underpinned by theory and supported by robust outcome studies, it can be concluded that they provide a helpful intervention for the carers and parents.

“…In addition to these, an adaption of the Solihull Approach (Douglas and Rheeston, 2009), tailored to foster carers and designed to improve carer–child relationships, was delivered to carers in Scotland (Solihull Approach, 2011). A thematic analysis of feedback from foster carers who received the evaluation of the approach indicates that it was well received, although the pre-post evaluation of the children’s well-being did not reveal any statistically significant difference (Madigan, Paton and Mackett, 2017).…”

Section: Current Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Reflective Fostering Programme: background and development of a new approach

Redfern

Wood

Lassri

et al. 2018

Looked after children represent a vulnerable group in society, many of whom are exposed to maltreatment, particularly in the form of relational trauma, prior to placement with a foster family. Challenging behaviours can place foster placements at risk and looked after children often confront the possibility of placement breakdown. A carer's capacity to retain a robust understanding of the children in their care as autonomous individuals with needs, feelings and thoughts may reveal to be important in enabling them to respond more effectively to the worrying or disruptive behaviour they might experience. The Reflective Fostering Programme (RFP) is a new group-based programme aiming to support foster carers of children aged 4-11.This innovative development follows calls by NICE and other organisations to help improve outcomes for children in care, by improving resources to their carers. The RFP is rooted in evidence drawn from the field of contemporary attachment and mentalizing research, which indicates that children who have a carer high in reflective functioning tend to have more favourable outcomes in terms of social-emotional wellbeing. It also draws on the evidence that looking after a child who has impaired capacity to mentalize as a result of early relational trauma has an impact on the carer's capacity to mentalize and respond sensitively to the child (Ensink et al., 2015). This paper sets out the rationale for the RFP, outlines its key elements, and concludes by outlining future service implementation and a planned feasibility study examining this approach. Key wordsMentalization, reflective fostering, foster carers, looked after children, interventions IntroductionThe number of looked after children in England and Wales has been growing steadily in the last few years. In March 2016 there were 70,440 children in care, up by 5% compared to 2012 2 (Department for Education [DfE], 2016). Additionally, there has been a move away from residential and toward fostering placements, with three-quarters of looked after children placed with foster carers (DfE, 2016). This is in recognition of the fact that children develop best in the context of stable, predictable relationships, with present and available caregivers, and that foster care is in many ways the most important 'intervention' that can be offered to a child who is not able to live with their birth family (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2013).Despite the clear advantages of foster care, children in such placements can place great demand on carers, who aren't always provided with sufficient training and ongoing support to cope with the various demands of the role (Bunday et al., 2015; Gurney-Smith et al., 2017;Schofield et al., 2000;Sinclair et al., 2000). More than 45% of looked after children have a diagnosable mental health disorder-five times the prevalence of mental health disorder among children in the general population (NICE, 2013). Experiences of neglect and trauma are common within this group of children, but...