resilience has been developed by a council in Scotland. Jean Campbell
explains how it works.
South Lanarkshire Psychological Service has had a longstanding interest in the concept of resilience, what it means and how to develop children's resilience capacity. The child-centred 'resilience' framework that we have developed is bringing benefits to both parents and professionals.
In developing our approach, we were particularly influenced by Edith Grotberg's study of how children under particular stress cope with the adversities that they face. Grotberg believed it was important to study how resilience changed or developed over time, and to identify factors with long-term impact. She was also interested not so much in individual personality factors but in what people - communities, adults and children - do that promotes coping over time, in the contexts and circumstances in which they normally live.
Her research highlighted three sources of resilience for the children who her study found coped relatively well in the face of severe difficulties.
- External supports - the 'I haves'. These are resources and support provided by adults, for example, I have trusting relationships at home; I have access to services.
- The child's social and interpersonal skills - the 'I cans', for example, I can express my thoughts and feelings; I can ask for help.
- Internal, personal qualities - the 'I ams', such as, I am loveable; I am a responsible person.
She believed that resilience resulted from a combination of the resources and abilities in each of these three areas and which together enabled children to cope with even very difficult life circumstances.
FAIR
The service carried out research using and confirming this model with children who were looked after. The service then used this model as a basis to develop the Framework for Assessment and Intervention for Resilience (FAIR), a resource to use with children aged eight to 14 to enhance what we termed their 'educational resilience'.
We then decided to develop a resource for children from birth to eight, again using the Grotberg model. It was clear that babies and young children have a primary need for their 'I haves' to be met as a foundation for their development, and the crucially important environmental factor for babies and young children is their relationship with the adults who care for them.
FAIAR
The quality of the attachment between the caregiver and the baby/young child plays a major role in the very early years, and therefore, attachment-based care-giving is crucial to the development of young child's potential for resilience. Children use adults to mediate and interpret their environment and their needs and feelings from moment to moment, enabling children to build supportive mental models of the world and the people around them. Attachment theory was, therefore, incorporated into the Early Years Framework of Assessment and Intervention for Attachment and Resilience (FAIAR).
Aims
The aims of the approach were set out as follows: 'To enhance secure parent-child attachment and build child resilience by promoting parents' understanding of and ability to respond appropriately and sensitively to their child's daily lived experience and needs.'
This means that the FAIAR is child-centred; children's developing ability and willingness to explore, and their sense of trust in adults, is based on the sensitivity of the caregivers to their needs. Parents need to have a reasonable understanding of the developmental needs of their child at a given age to display this sensitivity. They also need to be 'mind-minded' - that is, sensitive and open to the child's lived experience.
Themes
The FAIAR framework and approach encompasses five themes:
- Safety and Comfort
- Love and Affection
- Respect and Appreciation
- Support and Encouragement, and
- Fun and Stimulation.
Within each theme, a number of statements are framed as 'I have', 'I can' and 'I am' statements for parents, and as 'I have' statements for children. If a child has positive 'I have' experiences with their parent or carer, this is likely to mean their relationship with the caregiver is providing optimum support for the development of their resilience potential in that area. It also means the carer can say 'I can provide x support'. For example, the child's 'I have someone who listens to me' dovetails with the parent's 'I can talk to my child about their feelings' (see table).
Uses
It was important to the service that the FAIAR be used in a variety of ways by both professionals and parents. We also wanted it to meet the needs of parents who are generally positive about their parenting but would welcome a little extra support, as well as those struggling to meet the needs of their children. FAIAR, therefore, encompasses a number of tools and resources, and is used in a number of ways, as follows.
Assessment framework
The framework enables a parent to assess their strengths and needs in terms of 'I cans'. This is also used by parents exploring the parenting programme. The framework can be used by professionals to assess children where there are concerns about attachment and well-being. It can be used by professionals, for example in early years settings, to identify need and shape interventions directly with children. It can also be used for staff development in relation to raising practitioners' awareness of the emotional and social needs of vulnerable children in particular.
The A-Z of attachment
This A-Z communicates the key FAIAR messages using a mnemonic approach, in a leaflet and poster form. This is not a targeted tool: it is useful for any parent who feels they would benefit from information about basic concepts of attachment-based parenting. A workshop using this tool has been run successfully in a number of early years establishments.
Nurseries have subsequently developed parent-support initiatives using the approach - for example, the letter of the week, where parents stick Post-it notes on an A-Z display wall noting how they supported their child that week. For example, F is for Feelings. 'I asked Sam if he felt angry when his toy car broke. I said I felt sad for him.'
Developmental charts and posters
Again, the charts and posters form part of the approach for children from birth to eight. These can be as part of the parenting programme, nursery workshops or self-guided parents meetings.
Parenting programme
The programme is designed to be used flexibly by professionals working with parents/carers of children from birth to eight and who need extra support with the child-parent relationship. The aim is to strengthen the parents' capacity to affirm 'I can' to the caregiving statements and to begin to view themselves as a responsive competent parent ('I am').
Based on a parent-led model, the programme encourages parents to build on their strengths and skills by setting targets for change. It comprises structured dialogue and activities, supported by engaging resources. The parent and worker use the initial self-assessment to identify a theme or themes to explore, and ongoing evaluation of parental engagement and the impact on children is used. The programme can also be used in the short term and returned to later.
A training course
Training is available for staff within South Lanarkshire. Level 1 training explores attachment-based parenting and is for early years practitioners who can use the approach directly with children in their setting and who also have the potential to run workshops with parents.
Level 2 training builds on Level 1 for workers engaging directly with parents, for example social workers, family support workers and public health nurses.
Next steps
The initiative is in its early days. We have focused on training staff, developing and running workshops and supporting the use of the materials. We have had a lot of positive feedback about the workshops, the usability of the resources and the flexibility of the approach.
Users feel it is parent-friendly and child-centred. We are currently gathering case study data on its impact on parenting approaches and the relationships between parents and children.
EARLY YEARS FAIAR PARENTS' 'I CANS'
Safety and Comfort
Protect my child from harm
Comfort my child when they are frightened or upset
Love and Affection
Talk to my child about their feelings
Share my thoughts and feelings with my child
Respect and Appreciation
Listen to my child's thoughts and feelings
Tell my child about the good things I see in them
Support and Encouragement
Model good behaviour for my child
Encourage my child to do things on their own and try new things
Fun and Stimulation
Read to my child
Have fun with my child (eg, play with my child, laugh with my child)
A CHILD'S 'I HAVES'
Parents can promote resilience potential in their children by strengthening their 'I haves'
Safety and Comfort
I have someone who keeps me safe from emotional and physical danger
I have someone who meets my personal needs
Love and Affection
I have someone who gives me hugs and kisses
I have someone who tells me they love me
Respect and Appreciation
I have someone who listens to me when I talk
I have someone who asks me about my day at nursery/school
Support and Encouragement
I have someone I want to be like when I grow up (e.g. a hero)
I have someone who says 'well done' when I try my best
Fun and Stimulation
I have someone who takes me places where I can play and do interesting things
I have a favourite toy, game or thing to do
(c) South Lanarkshire Council Psychological Service
MORE INFORMATION
'Promoting resilience in children: a new approach' by E Grotberg 1993, University of Alabama at Birmingham: Civitan International Research Center.
Jean Campbell is senior psychologist, South Lanarkshire Council Psychological Service