Abstract

Background

The needs of children in care are a government priority, yet the evidence base for effective interventions to support the emotional wellbeing of children in care is lacking. Research suggests that supporting the carer-child relationship, by promoting the carer’s reflective parenting, may be an effective approach to improving the wellbeing of these children.

Methods

The study comprises a definitive, superiority, two-armed, parallel, pragmatic, randomised controlled trial, with embedded process evaluation and economic evaluation, and an internal pilot, to evaluate the effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness, of the Reflective Fostering Programme. Randomisation is at the individual level using a 1:1 allocation ratio. The study is being conducted in local authority sites across England, and is targeted at foster carers (including kinship carers) looking after children aged 4 to 13. Consenting participants are randomly allocated to the Reflective Fostering Programme (intervention arm) in addition to usual support or usual support alone (control arm). The primary outcome is behavioural and emotional wellbeing of the child 12 months post-baseline, and secondary outcomes include the following: foster carer’s level of stress, quality of life, reflective capacity, compassion fatigue and burnout, placement stability, the quality of the child-carer relationship, child’s capacity for emotional regulation, and achievement of personalised goals set by the carer.

Discussion

A feasibility study has indicated effectiveness of the Programme in improving the child-carer relationship and emotional and behavioural wellbeing of children in care. This study will test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of implementing the Reflective Fostering Programme as an additional aid to the support already available to local authority foster carers.

Trial registration

ISRCTN 70832140.

Details

Title
The Reflective Fostering Programme—improving the wellbeing of children in care through a group intervention for foster carers: a randomised controlled trial
Author
Midgley, Nick 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Irvine, Karen 2 ; Rider, Beth 2 ; Byford, Sarah 3 ; Cirasola, Antonella 4 ; Ganguli, Poushali 3 ; Katangwe-Chigamba, Thando 5 ; Murdoch, Jamie 5 ; Pond, Martin 5 ; Pursch, Benita 4 ; Redfern, Sheila 4 ; Richards, Zena Louise 1 ; Shepstone, Lee 5 ; Sims, Erika 5 ; Smith, Caroline 6 ; Sprecher, Eva 4 ; Swart, Ann Marie 5 ; Wyatt, Solange 2 ; Wellsted, David 2 

1  zUniversity College London, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, London, UK (GRID:grid.83440.3b) (ISNI:0000000121901201) 
2  University of Hertfordshire, Centre for Health Services and Clinical Research, Hatfield, UK (GRID:grid.5846.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2161 9644) 
3  Kings College London, London, UK (GRID:grid.13097.3c) (ISNI:0000 0001 2322 6764) 
4  Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, UK (GRID:grid.466510.0) (ISNI:0000 0004 0423 5990) 
5  Norwich Clinical Trials Unit, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK (GRID:grid.8273.e) (ISNI:0000 0001 1092 7967) 
6  Kent County Council, Maidstone, UK (GRID:grid.450926.c) (ISNI:0000 0001 1261 1544) 
Pages
841
Publication year
2021
Publication date
Dec 2021
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
e-ISSN
17456215
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-021-05739-y
ProQuest document ID
2730341300
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.