Glossary

Self-assessment

Solihull Approach Parenting: Understanding your child’s behaviour

Solihull Approach Parenting: Understanding your child’s behaviour is a universal parenting group which helps parents understand their child’s behaviour in the context of their child’s development and the parent-child relationship.

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Usability Rating

4

Supports Rating

3

Evidence Rating

4

Fit Rating

NYR

Capacity Rating

NYR

Need Rating

NYR

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Evidence

4

Fit

NYR

Capacity

NYR

Supports

3

Usability

4

Need

NYR

Usability - Rating: 4

Core Components

The Solihull Approach Parenting Group “Understanding your child’s behaviour” is a universal parenting group for parents of children aged 0-18. The programme is delivered in a group setting over 10 weekly 2-hour sessions. Ten to twelve parents are invited to attend each group programme. The programme is designed to be a first response parenting intervention. The programme is clearly operationalised, with the content of each session clearly described. The primary focus is on the parent-child relationship. By exploring the concepts of emotional containment and a reciprocal relationship; it aims to help parents understand their child’s behaviour within a developmental context and promote reflective, sensitive and effective parenting.

Fidelity

The Solihull Approach Parenting Group manages fidelity using a detailed manual, contracts with commissioners, trainers and facilitators and parental and facilitator evaluation forms submitted to the central team. Evaluation forms are periodically checked by the central team, and they follow up any concerns.
The programme acknowledges the limits to their fidelity monitoring and have taken a pragmatic decision to have a limited burden on sites demonstrating fidelity to the central team, to support the widest possible roll out of the programme.

Modifiable Components

The programme can be delivered in mixed age groups or focussed age groups such as 0-4-year olds; 4-11 year olds and 11- 18 years. Additional materials are available free of charge to adapt the group to the needs of parents of children with learning disabilities, ASD or who are adopted. Materials are available in a range of languages. An online version of the group is available, which has the same structure and content. It can be used to support a parent who is unable to attend the group with their partner, or as a standalone intervention. A smaller group size (5-6 parents) is recommended if using with parents and children with more complex difficulties.

The Solihull Approach have written other programmes targeting parents within the postnatal period, and for foster carers.

Supports - Rating: 3

Support for Organisation / Practice

The Solihull Approach Parenting Group: Understanding your child, is one of the programmes from the Solihull Approach central team at the University Hospitals Birmingham, NHS Trust. It builds upon their two-day foundation training, which introduces the Solihull Approach model to practitioner.

Implementation Support

The Solihull Approach team can provide implementation on request support by phone and email and through resources on its website. Further support is available through linking with mature sites.

The Solihull Approach team can provide direct individual training places in Solihull or provide training locally for groups of 12 delegates. In common with all Solihull trainings, the Parenting group training can be cascaded locally. The Solihull Approach team provide guidance on how training can be run sustainably in local areas. This includes “train the trainer” trainings for both the initial foundation training, and specific parenting group training.

The programme requires that parental session evaluations and facilitator session feedback forms are submitted to central team. They have a set of free outcome measures that they can provide to sites on request.

There are no training requirements to deliver the online version. Purchase of the school based - online multi-user licence includes an implementation kit with advice on communicating the programme to parents. Purchase of the Public Health Multi-user licence includes liaison with Solihull central team about planning the role out of the programme.

Licence Requirements

There are no formal licencing requirements for facilitators; however, commissioners, trainers and facilitators are required to agree to a code of practice.

Start-up Costs

Both facilitators need manuals (£91 each) and at least one needs to attend the Solihull Approach Parenting Group training (£98) in Solihull. Training for 12 delegates can be provided locally (£1999 plus trainers’ accommodation and travel). The parenting group “Train the trainer” costs £197, including training manual. Ongoing costs are primarily the costs of facilitators and group venues, estimated to be £1500 per group.

The pre-requisite two-day foundation training costs £189 per place in Solihull, or onsite for 12 staff costs £1499, plus trainer travel and accommodation. Foundation resource packs cost £77.

The online version cost £39 per person, with discounts available for multiple purchases. Schools can buy a 12-month multi-user licence to offer the online parenting programme in their school for £400. A multi-user licence is available for council area, in negotiation with the Solihull Approach Team.

Building Staff Competency

Qualifications Required

There are no specific professional qualifications required to train in the Solihull Approach Parenting Group. Facilitators need experience of working with children and their families, to have completed the two-day foundation course in the Solihull Approach and have six months experience of using the Solihull Approach.

Training Requirements

One facilitator needs to have attended the specific one-day training in the Solihull Approach Parenting Group (£98). Training in the pre-requisite two-day foundation training, and the one-day Solihull Approach Parenting Group are readily available via individual training places, or on-site as groups of 12 delegates. Training in the Solihull Approach Parenting Group is also now available remotely, delivered online via Zoom/MS Teams.

The Solihull Approach encourages a local cascade of training. A “train the trainer” group training is available for practitioners that have completed the both the foundation and group training and run at least one group.

There are no training requirements for rolling out the online version of the programme.

Supervision Requirements

Supervision is recommended but not mandated.

Evidence - Rating: 4

The Solihull Approach Parenting Group: Understanding your child’s behaviour has demonstrated positive child and parent outcomes in one RCT with a mixed age range, and in one evaluation that included children 0-36 months. An evaluation of the online version has also shown positive parental outcomes.

Theory of Change

The Solihull approach brings together three psychological constructs from psychoanalytic theory, developmental psychology and social learning theory in its theory of change. It emphasises the importance of emotional containment and reciprocity in parent-child relationships as the foundations which are necessary for behaviour management skills to be effective. The aim is that the group provides a containing experience for parents so that they are able to be calm, process emotions and have a capacity to think. This in turn enables parents to be more in tune with their child's feelings and developmental needs so that where necessary they can use individualised, sensitive and appropriate behaviour management strategies with their children.

Infants and Toddlers: 0-36 months - Rating: 4

Research Design & Number of Studies

One randomised controlled trial of Solihull Approach Parenting Group: UYCB has been conducted (Douglas & Johnson, 2019). There is one evaluation of the online version of the programme (Johnson, 2018). Both these studies were conducted with parents across the age range of the programme. A further evaluation, (Bateson et al., 2008) reported on the impact for children aged 0-36 months; the other studies provided no specific data for this age group. All studies reported have been conducted by the programme originators.

Outcomes Achieved

Parental attendance at the UYCB group was associated with:

Child Outcomes

• a reduction in externalising behaviours for 2- and 3-year olds (Bateson et al., 2008).
• a statistically significant reduction in conduct problems, in comparison to the control group (Douglas & Johnson, 2019).
• a statically significant increase in prosocial behaviour, in comparison to the control group (Douglas & Johnson, 2019).

Parent Outcomes

In comparison to the control group, there was a statistically significant:

• decrease in parental anxiety and stress
• improvement in parental report of the child-parent relationship, shown by increased closeness and reduced conflict. (Douglas & Johnson, 2019)

Completion of the online version was associated with:

• large and statistically significant improvements in parent child relationships on the dimension of closeness and conflict (Johnson, 2018).

Key References

Bateson, K., Delaney, J. & Pybus, R., 2008. Meeting expectations: the pilot evaluation of the Solihull Approach Parenting Group. Community practitioner., 81(5), pp.28–31.

Douglas, H. and Johnson, R. (2019). The Solihull Approach 10-week programme: a randomised controlled trial. Community Practitioner, 92 (7), 45-47

Johnson, R., 2018. Improvements in parenting achieved with innovative online programme: Preliminary evaluation of 'Understanding Your Child-Online' (UYC-OL): A Solihull Approach course for parents and carers. Educational and Child Psychology, 35(1), pp.40–50.

Preschool: 3 to 5 years - Rating: 4

Research Design & Number of Studies

One randomised controlled trial of Solihull Approach Parenting Group: UYCB has been conducted (Douglas & Johnson, 2019). There is one evaluation of the online version of the programme (Johnson, 2018). Both these studies were conducted with parents across the age range of the programme. A further evaluation, (Bateson et al., 2008) reported on the impact for children aged 2 and 3, and 4-14 years separately, though the outcomes for both age groups were the same. Evidence outcomes for the age range 3-5 is the same as for the 0-36 month evidence above.

Primary school: 6 to 12 years - Rating: 4

Research Design & Number of Studies

The best evidence for children aged between 6 and 12 years old comes from one randomised controlled trial of Solihull Approach Parenting Group: UYCB (Douglas & Johnson, 2019). There is one evaluation of the online version of the programme (Johnson, 2018). Both these studies were conducted with parents across the age range of the programme. A further evaluation, (Bateson et al., 2008) reported on the impact for children aged 4-14 years. None of the studies provided specific data for the 6-12 year age group. All studies reported have been conducted by the programme originators. Evidence outcomes for the age range 6-12 years is the same as for the 0-36 month evidence above.

Adolescents: 13 to 18 years - Rating: 4

Research Design & Number of Studies

The best evidence for children and young people aged between 13 and 18 years old comes from one randomised controlled trial of Solihull Approach Parenting Group: UYCB (Douglas & Johnson, 2019). There is one evaluation of the online version of the programme (Johnson, 2018). Both these studies were conducted with parents across the age range of the programme. A further evaluation, (Bateson et al., 2008) reported on the impact for children aged 4-14 years. None of the studies provided specific data for the 13-18 year age group. All studies reported have been conducted by the programme originators. Evidence outcomes for the age range 13-18 years is the same as for the 0-36 month evidence above.

Self-assessment

Solihull Approach Parenting: Understanding your child’s behaviour

Compare

Usability Rating

4

Supports Rating

3

Evidence Rating

4

Fit Rating

NYR

Capacity Rating

NYR

Need Rating

NYR

The Hexagon: An Exploration Tool

The Hexagon can be used as a planning tool to guide selection and evaluate potential programs and practice for use.

Evidence

4

Fit

NYR

Capacity

NYR

Supports

3

Usability

4

Need

NYR

Infants and Toddlers: 0-36 months - Rating: 4

Preschool: 3 to 5 years - Rating: 4

Primary school: 6 to 12 years - Rating: 4

Adolescents: 13 to 18 years - Rating: 4

Need

Fit

Capacity

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