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QUALITATIVE EVALUATION
Abstract
This service evaluation aimed to gain an insight into health visitors' experience of using the Solihull Approach. This was achieved by devising a semi-structured interview to examine the effects of the Solihull Approach on three areas: clinical practice; feelings about work and the wider service. Four health visitors were interviewed and the transcripts were analysed. The evaluation outlines how using the Solihull Approach has led to changes in practice, health visitors feeling more positive about their jobs, an impact upon referral processes and an improvement in health visitors working in partnership with other professionals. However, concerns are raised about the consistency in implementation and the need for further support.
The implications of these findings for the development of the Solihull Approach are discussed, as well as recommendations for future research. The findings around the need for further support are likely to be relevant in the implementation of any programme, for example, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.
Key words: health visitor, infant mental health, early intervention
Community practitioner 2005; 78, 1: 20-23
Introduction
What is the Solihull Approach?
The Solihull Approach is both a theoretical framework and a comprehensive resource pack developed by practitioners for practitioners, particularly health visitors, working with pre-school children with sleeping, feeding, toileting and behavioural difficulties.1
The initial development took place between 1996 and 1999, with the 4th edition being published in 2004.2 A school years pack has also been published3 and a parenting course based on the model will be completed in 2003.
The Solihull Approach is designed to be used as a brief intervention and is supported by a comprehensive resource pack that also functions as an accredited open learning course. The model integrates the concepts of containment,4 reciprocity5 and behaviour management from psychothcrapeutic, child development and behavioural models respectively.
The Solihull Approach aims to help health visitors and others to be more effective in their work, as primary care professionals are in the ideal position to intervene early in any potential difficulty for a child.6
The approach is in line with recent government initiatives7 and complements the public health role of the health visitor8 from the individual level through to group, community and policy levels. Anecdotal evidence and a previous study9 suggest that the...