Assessing Parental Capacity to Change

Dendy Platt with Katie Riches

Centre for Family Policy and Child Welfare, University of Bristol

ESRC knowledge exchange opportunities scheme grant no. ES/L001829/1, in partnership with Somerset, North Somerset and Bath & NE Somerset Councils

© D Platt & K Riches, 2015.

BASPCAN Annual Congress, April 2015

That word ‘capacity’

Parenting Capacity

A parent’s overall ability to parent their child

I.e. basic care, safety, emotional warmth, stimulation, guidance / boundaries, and stability

(DoH, 2000)

Parental Capacity to Change

A combination of evidence indicating whether future change is achievable

Relevant practice (in England)

Assessment following a child protection conference Assessment following letter before proceedings

(under the PLO) Parenting assessment for family court Assessment / planning for reunification Interventions where understanding capacity to

change is important

Key principles

Capacity to change assessed for particular behaviours. Integrated within existing processes of assessment and

analysis. Two essential sources of information,

observable behaviour, and background factors affecting capacity to change.

Capacity to achieve change within the child’s timescales.

All relevant parents or carers assessed individually and together.

Good analysis is fundamental (Turney et al, 2012).

Exercise

Work with a partner Think of something you have tried to change in your

own life, and describe it to your partner Identify what helped and what hindered in making

that change Write down each factor affecting that change on a

separate post-it Post-its will be displayed for discussion

Factors affecting capacity to change

Behaviour

Motivations /

Intentions

Priority

/

Rele

va

nceKnowledge / Skills

Habits &

Automati

c

Response

s

Con

tex

tual

Fa

ctor

s

Main Sources:Unified Theory of Behavior (Jaccard et al, 2002; Olin et al, 2009);Theoretical Domains Framework (Cane et al, 2012);Integrated Model of Parental Engagement (Platt, 2012);Self-Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan)

(continued)

ActionMotivati

on / Intentio

n

Priority

/

Rele

va

nceKnowledge / Skills

Habits &

Automati

c

Response

s

Con

tex

tual

Fa

ctor

s

Needs &Expecta

ncies

Beliefs & feelings

Identity & social norms

Confidence & self-efficacyExtern

al Factors

Balance Sheet of Factors Affecting Capacity to ChangeWhat is helping to achieve change? What is acting against change? Next steps e.g. What action can be taken to

promote change

What needs to change?

Why is this change necessary for <children’s names> Date:

Assessing observable change(Adapted from Harnett, 2007)

1. Use appropriate assessments/tools/measures to establish baseline

2. Identify target difficulties

3. Agree goal(s) related to each target difficulty Negotiated with parents / children Meaningful (to both parties) Manageable

4. Intervention aimed at addressing target difficulties

5. Assess observable changes

Goal Attainment Scaling Chart

(adapted from Harnett, 2007)

Description of situation at startDate ………………………………

Level of Outcome Score Description of levels Evidence of change at follow-upDate: …………….………

Much more successful than expected

5

Somewhat more successful than expected

4

Successful

3

Somewhat less successful than expected

2

Much less successful than expected

1

Goal:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..........................................................Importance for Children…………………………………………………...................................................................................................................................................Date: ………………………………………………………………………………

Exercise

Use case study, Rob and Penny Either

1. Consider factors affecting Rob and Penny’s ability to cut down on alcohol use; or

2. Devise a Goal Attainment Scaling chart related to alcohol use.

Weighing up the Two Parts of the Capacity to Change Assessment

Evidence of actual change

Factors affecting capacity to change

Insufficient More than sufficient

Good potential for change

Potential not demonstrated in reality.

Review barriers to change. Review goals.

Overall assessment that capacity to change

is good.

Change is unlikelyOverall assessment

that likelihood of change is very low.

Actual change unexpectedly high.

Review goals. Review barriers and facilitators.

Predicting the future is a troubled science: value of multiple sources of information

Assessment of actual change alone would not provide explanation of what helps and hinders change

Assessment of factors affecting behaviour change alone would omit potential insights from past behaviour

Assessment of both elements provides a stronger basis for intervention to facilitate further change

Why the two-part assessment?

Linking to conclusions of the overall assessment

What are the risks to the child? What needs to change to safeguard the child? Can that change be achieved within the child’s timescale, and

by how much? Does capacity to change outweigh risk to child?

Single Assessment: child’s needs,

parenting, risk, etc

Concerns regarding child

Factors affecting capacity to change

Target difficultie

s

Interim goals

Intervention

Observe changes

Overall assessment:• Can change be achieved within

the child’s timescale?• Does capacity to change

outweigh risk to child?

Factors affecting change

vs Actual change

= Capacity to Change

Assessing Capacity to Change: Process

References

Day A., Casey S., Ward T., Howells K. & Vess J. (2010), Transitions to Better Lives: Offender readiness and rehabilitation. Devon: Willan Publishing.

Deci E. & Ryan R. (2014), Self Determination Theory. www.selfdeterminationtheory.org

Department of Health (2000), Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. London: The Stationery Office.

Cane J., O’Connor D. & Michie S. (2012), Validation of the theoretical domains framework for use in behaviour change and implementation research. Implementation Science, 7: 37.

Gardner B. (2014), A Review and Analysis of the Use of ‘Habit’ in Understanding, Predicting and Influencing Health-Related Behaviour. Health Psychology Review, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2013.876238

Harnett P. (2007), A Procedure for Assessing Parents’ Capacity to Change in Child Protection Cases. Children and Youth Services Review, 29, pp. 1179-1188.

Jaccard J., Dodge T. & Dittus P. (2002), Parent-Adolescent Communication about Sex and Birth Control: A conceptual framework. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 97, 9-41.

Olin S.S., Hoagwood K.E., Rodriguez J., Ramos B., Burton G., Penn M., Crowe M., Radigan M. & Jensen P.S. (2010), The Application of Behavior Change Theory to Family-Based Services: Improving parent empowerment in children’s mental health. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19: 462-470.

Platt D. (2012), Understanding Parental Engagement with Child Welfare Services: An Integrated Model. Child and Family Social Work. 17, 138-148.

Platt D. & Riches K. (2015), Assessment of Parental Engagement and Capacity to Change: Practice Handbook (Pilot Version). University of Bristol (nb under revision).

Turney D., Platt D., Selwyn J. & Farmer E. (2012), Improving Child and Family Assessments: Turning Research into Practice. London: Jessica Kingsley.

Ward H., Brown R. & Hyde-Dryden G. (2014), Assessing Parental Capacity to Change when Children are on the Edge of Care: an overview of current research evidence. Centre for Child and Family Research, Loughborough University, and Department for Education. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/330332/RR369_Assessing_parental_capacity_to_change_Final.pdf