Incredible Years© Evaluation Differences between Foster and Kinship carer groups at baseline

PhD research project ‘are behavioural interventions effective with foster and kinship carers’ Project includes an evaluation of a Incredible Years© school age programme Researcher: Sue Layland Supervisors: Professor Judy Hutchings, Dr Maggie Hoerger

Looked after children outcomes: Qualifications 23% LAC achieved five GSCEs grade A*-C compared to 67% of all children. If you include Maths, English and Welsh, 10% LAC achieved grades A*-C compared to 50% of all children. 29% of young people leaving care had no qualifications, compared to 1% of the non-LAC population. 2% of LAC school leavers go on to forms of higher education (Welsh Audit Office, 2012) compared to 88% of year 11 (Careers Wales, 2015) 48% of care leavers were not in employment, education or training on their 19th birthday compared to 12% non-LAC . (Wales, 2011 statistics, from Welsh Government Social Research 62/2015).

Contributing factors to poor educational outcomes Lack of a significant adult relationship (Harker, Dobel-Ober, Lawrence, Berridge and Sinclair, 2003) Placement instability – 70% of young people experience a change in placement during their time in care (Harker, et al, 2003). Incredible Years© Evaluation

Looked after children outcomes: Crime Of the 1000 children aged 10-17 years in custody in England and Wales, around 50% have experience of the care system. Children in care are 6 times more likely to be cautioned or convicted of a crime than the general population. (Prison Reform Trust review, 2016)

What does research show makes a difference? Looked after children benefit most from stability (Jones, Everson-Hock, Papaioannou, Guillaume, Goyder, Chilcott, et al. 2011) The biggest cited cause of placement breakdown is challenging behaviour (Rhodes, Orme & Beuhler, 2001) There is evidence that children are being labelled with attachment disorders (limited treatments) rather than conduct disorders (evidence based treatments available). (Woolgar & Baldock, 2014)

Incredible Years© Evaluation Recommendations for treatment of Antisocial behaviour and Conduct Disorders (NICE) Foster carer/guardian training programmes Offer a group foster carer/guardian training programme to foster carers and guardians of children and young people aged between 3 and 11 years who: have been identified as being at high risk of developing oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder or have oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder or are in contact with the criminal justice system because of antisocial behaviour Incredible Years© Evaluation

Incredible Years© Evaluation Foster carer/guardian training programmes 1.5.8. Group foster carer/guardian training programmes should involve both of the foster carers or guardians if this is possible and in the best interests of the child or young person, and should: modify the intervention to take account of the care setting in which the child is living typically have between 8 and 12 foster carers or guardians in a group be based on a social learning model using modelling, rehearsal and feedback to improve parenting skills typically consist of between 12 and 16 meetings of 90 to 120 minutes' duration adhere to a developer's manual[5] and employ all of the necessary materials to ensure consistent implementation of the programme. Nice clinical guideline 158 (2013). guidance.nice.org.uk/cg158 Incredible Years© Evaluation

Incredible Years © Programme Development of treatment programmes for young children with early onset conduct problems and ADHD, to promote: Social and emotional learning, Emotion regulation, Problem solving.

Previous Research: Incredible Years evaluation with foster carers - Bywater et al. (2010) Evaluated IY with 46 LAC (24 boys, 22 girls): 29 intervention, 17 control condition with age range 2-16 years Found statistically significant benefits for intervention children and carers over control groups at follow-up on: ECBI intensity of problem behaviour, Carer reported SDQ hyperactivity levels Teacher reported SDQ hyperactivity levels Intervention carer depression levels (BDI)

Incredible Years Evaluation Two groups: Foster carer group – 11 carers looked after 10 children (6 males, 4 females), with a mean age of 10.38 years and an age range of 7-14 years Kinship carer group – 11 carers looked after 10 children (7 males, 3 females), with a mean age of 8.33 years and an age range of 4-14 years

Participant and child mean age

Child time in care and number of previous placements

Measures at baseline Included a self report measure of behaviour: Child Behaviour Check List (CBCL), Achenbach and Rescorla (2001) 113 item questionnaire, results give a total problems score, internalising and externalising behaviours sub scores.

CBCL Total Problems Score The total score for the foster group is in the clinically significant range. The differences between the two groups are significant t(19)=2.82, (p<.05)

CBCL Internalising problems scores The internalising score for the foster group is in the borderline range. The differences between the two groups are significant t(19)=3.61, p<.05

CBCL Externalising problems scores The externalising score for the foster group is in the borderline range. The differences between the groups are not significant

To summarise, baseline findings showed: There were differences between the kinship and foster care groups. In general, more boys are looked after than girls. The children placed with the kinship carers were generally younger, had fewer previous placements and fewer behavioural problems. The children placed with foster carers were older, had multiple previous placements and showed clinically significant levels of behavioural problems.

Sue Layland s.c.layland@bangor.ac.uk Any Questions? Sue Layland s.c.layland@bangor.ac.uk