Focus on parenting capacity

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Child and Family Training 2013

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CFT040214 Focus on Parenting Capacity

Identifying when parenting capacity results in neglect
Parents of neglected children
Mothers and fathers of neglected children usually LOVE their children;
however, they face many social and personal CHALLENGES; and
these factors affect their capacity to provide what their children need to the
extent that the children suffer, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.
Dimensions of parenting capacity
Basic care
Ensuring safety
Emotional warmth
Stimulation
Guidance and boundaries
Stability
Family and environmental factors
Family history and functioning
Wider family
Housing
Employment
Income
Familys social integration
Community resources
Neglect and Deprivation
In a study of 555 families referred to childrens social care about concerns of neglect
or emotional abuse of the children:
57% had no wage earner in the household
59% lived in over-crowded housing conditions
10% had had 5 or more house moves in the previous 5 years
47% households headed by a lone parent
26% of parents and 24% of children had a disability or long term/serious
illness
56% of parents reported high levels of emotional stress.
(Thoburn et al, 2000)
poverty is not a predictor of neglect: it is a correlate of neglect.
(DiLenonardi, 1993, in Horwarth, 2007)
The majority of people living in deprived circumstances parent their
children effectively, but it is a lot harder.
Deprivation can interact with other stress factors resulting in childrens
needs not being met adequately.

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Research tends to have focused on mothers and has suggested them to:
be more likely to be poor
be less able to plan
be less able to control impulses
be less confident about future
be less equipped with sense of self-efficacy
have psychological and psychosomatic symptoms
have had poor educational attainment
have a high sense of alienation...
struggle to manage money
lack emotional maturity
be physically and emotionally exhausted
experience depression
lack of knowledge of childrens developmental needs
struggle to meet dependency needs of children
experience feelings of apathy and futility. (Kadushi 1988, Polansky 1981,
Crittenden 1996, Gaudin 1993, Giovannoni 1979, Horwath 2007, Mayhall
and Norgard 1983, Taylor and Daniel 2005, Stevenson 2007)
Less research on fathers, but they are likely to:
be unemployed
be a less supportive partner
be violent to the mother
misuse substances.
The man in the household is:
more likely to be the non-biological parent,
less likely to have been in the relationship longer than 5 years. (Coohey
1995, Featherstone 2001)

Factors associated with neglect that affect parenting capacity

Own experiences of adverse parenting
Lack of supportive network/family/other
Learning disability
Maternal depression
Parental psychiatric illness
Parental substance misuse
Abusive relationships with partner/domestic violence

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Parental mental health issues
One in four adults will experience a mental illness in their lifetime.
Of these, between a quarter and a half will be parents.
Their dependent children are at greater risk of experiencing health, social
and/or psychological problems.
Combined issues such as genetic inheritance, social adversity and
psychological factors may lead to an increased chance of children
experiencing mental health issues.
The impact of mental ill health on parental capacity will depend on the
parents personality, the type of mental illness, its severity, the treatment
given and support provided.
Many mental health problems are manifested in intermittent episodes of
symptoms.
This can result in fluctuations between good and poor parental capacity.

Parental substance misuse

Research carried out to inform the Advisory Council on the Misuse of
Drugs report, Hidden Harm (2003), estimated:
200,000-300,000 children of problem drug users in England and Wales
this represents 2-3% of children less than 16 years.
Between 780,000 and 1.3 million children are affected by parental alcohol
use in England and Wales (Harwin et al. 2009).
Parents report effects on:
providing a daily structure.
being consistent.
managing their childrens anger.
coping with childrens transition into adolescence, especially if it involves
experimentation with drugs.
generally perceiving difficulties rather than positives in childs behaviour.
(Coleman and Cassell, 1995)

Parenting Issues
Parenting is challenging even in the context of extensive support and
sufficient resources.
In the context of diminished financial resources, limited opportunities and
social isolation, parenting is very demanding.
When parents use substances to cope, and/or are living with domestic
abuse and mental health problems their capacity to care effectively can be
seriously eroded.

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Assessing parental capacity
Keeping the child at the centre
There are some parents who will not be able to change sufficiently within the childs
timescales in order to ensure that their children do not continue to suffer significant
harm. In these situations, decisions may need to be taken to separate permanently
the child and parent or parents. (Department of Health, Department for Education and
Employment, and Home Office 2000, p58)

Understanding the impact of parenta problems

Recent research suggests that the problems that affect parenting capacity
are frequently not addressed or understood.
Unless the root problems affecting parenting capacity are assessed and
addressed, children are likely to continue to experience chronic neglect.

Dimensions of parenting capacity

Basic care
Ensuring safety
Emotional warmth
Stimulation
Guidance and boundaries
Stability

Family and environmental factors

Family history and functioning
Wider family
Housing
Employment
Income
Familys social integration
Community resources

Start with enegagement with parents

The task is to empathise and work with parents (wherever possible) while retaining a
focus on the child and their welfare
Specific challenges will include:
how to be honest and clear with parents without creating hostility;
how to be empathic without colluding with unacceptable behaviour;
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CFT040214 Focus on Parenting Capacity
 how to reconcile the different imperatives of the role within practice
with parents. (Forrester et al. 2008, p24)

What do parents tell us

They want workers who are:
courteous
turn up on time
speak directly to them
dont use jargon
listen and really hear and accept what is being said
explain what is happening and why
do what they say they are going to do and dont over-promise
say honestly when they cant help
are patient and make enough time to understand.
(Source: Teaching and learning communication skills in social work SCIE 2004 Guide 5)

Barrires to enagement
Parents may have fears that their children will be removed from their care
(or not returned if already removed).
They may deliberately avoid contact with professionals physically or
emotionally.
They may appear to be co-operating with professionals whilst not really
accepting the concerns about neglect.
Their lives may be fraught with a series of crises that deflect from
sustained attention to the assessment process.

Theoretical framework
Theoretical framework

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Plan for assessment
Assess the factors affecting parenting capacity.
Consider chronology and past history and patterns within cases.

Assess parents current ability to form a range of healthy relationships as

indicated by:
o balance of attention to children's needs and own needs
o awareness of effects of relationships
o ability to take responsibility for behaviour
o meeting the childs needs.

Importance of past history

Compiling a chronology:
decide on purpose;
identify key elements to be recorded;
make sure information is accurate and in date order;
take account of adults perspective.
Core elements of a chronology:
key dates: births, life events, moves;
key facts;
life changes, transitions;
brief note of events and actions taken.

Assess capacity to change

Parents willingness to accept responsibility for aspects of their problem
over which they have some control.
Parents ability to change, linked with childs developmental needs and
timescales, and extent to which compromised.
Parents willingness to change.

In many cases of neglect, parents are affected by:

domestic abuse
mental health problems
substance misuse

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CFT040214 Focus on Parenting Capacity
 learning disabilities
or a combination of the above.
There needs to be specific in-depth assessment of the specific ways in which
these parental problems are affecting parenting capacity.

What would help

The planned interventions should take account of an analysis of the reason for
the continuation of any of these parental problems.
Does there need to be therapeutic help for underlying emotional distress?
Is specialist treatment required, of what type and by whom?
Is support required to develop a range of healthy relationships?
Does the mother need help to separate from a violent partner?

Impact of wider family factors

If isolated from extended family:
may be a deliberate protective strategy;
may be due to difficulties with attachment relationships;
may be due to distance, resources, time - for example.
If isolated from extended family:
may be a deliberate protective strategy;
may be due to difficulties with attachment relationships;
may be due to distance, resources, time - for example.

Recognising the past in the present

Adults will have internal working models of relationships formed on the
basis of childhood experiences of being parented.
Parents can unconsciously be affected by their internal working models in
their interactions with their own children.
Assessing and helping people to recognise these patterns is an important
part of assessment and planning.

Capacity and willingness to change

Capacity to change:
prior evidence of changes as a result of interventions
examples of concrete improvements over time
capacity to translate information into action.
Willingness / motivation to change:
acceptance of responsibility for own actions
sustained changes over time

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 making use or/accessing available resources and services.

There is a linguistic and conceptual dilemma between a wish and need to protect
children from harm, and a reluctance to label or blame caregivers who hold a primary
role and responsibility in the child's life. (Glaser 2002)
Is not necessary to determine that there is neglect.
Is not necessary for a decision to start to intervene.
Is essential in deciding the nature of intervention.
Is essential for deciding what legal action to initiate.

Effective interventions in neglect cases

It is important to consider what works and with whom it works taking account of the
available evidence whilst noting that:
the evidence base is still sparse
is often based on findings in other countries
and may conflate neglect with other forms of maltreatment.
It is crucial to draw upon the available evidence base and provide support
for children.

Intervention should:
incorporate relationship building and attachment
be long-term rather than episodic
be multi-faceted
be offered early as well as late
consider both protective and risk factors
involve fathers or male caregivers as well as female caregivers.

Managed dependency
The vast majority of parents rely on the assistance of others .
Parents whose children are neglected tend to have no-one to turn to for
support.
Practitioner fears about parents becoming too dependent can lead to
episodic patterns of support.
Therefore, instead, plan to provide long-term support in a purposeful and
authoritative manner. (Tanner & Turney 2003)

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Who works:
There is considerable research evidence to support the claim that relationship skills
are important in helping people to change, whatever intervention method is being
used. (Munro 2011 p.88)

There is considerable research evidence to support the claim that relationship skills
are important in helping people to change, whatever intervention method is being
used. (Munro 2011 p.88)

Four factors account for the change process in work with vulnerable
families:
(McKeown 2000)
40% characteristic of the user history, social support,
socio-economic status
30% relationship between worker empathy and clear
and client plans
15% method of intervention family therapy,
cognitive behavioural
therapy
15% verbal hope expressed by
client
Child-focused interventions predominantly aim to help children cope with the
adverse effects of maltreatment such as stress, anxiety, and low self-esteem and
address their immediate and long term adjustment needs.(Davies and Ward 2011)
Examples:
Therapeutic pre-school (Moore et. al. 1998).
Peer-led social skills training (Fantuzzo et. al. 1996).
Imaginative play therapy (Udwin 1983).
Treatment foster care. (Fisher & Kim 2007)/ Multidimensional treatment
foster care.

School based support

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CFT040214 Focus on Parenting Capacity
 Many schools provide valuable practical support for neglected children.
Neglected childrens cognitive and social development can be supported
within the school setting.
Teachers, and other adults within schools, can offer children the
experience of trusting, caring and reliable relationships.

Parent-focused interventions
Research has tended to focus on cognitive behavioural programs;
psychotherapeutic interventions, and home visiting programmes.
The evidence base specifically relating to neglect is sparse.
There is a need to address the factors associated with neglect such as
substance misuse, mental health issues and domestic violence.

Assessing issues affecting parenting capacity

Parental substance misuse
strengthening families (Kumpfer & Tait 2000)
parents under pressure (Dawe and Harnett 2007)
the Relational Psychotherapy Mothers Group (Luthar et. al. 2007).

Parental mental health

tailored support such as psychotherapy and CBT.

Domestic abuse
o reparative work on mother-child relationship
o Post-Shelter Advocacy Programme (Sullivan & Bybee 1999)

Child Parent focused interventions

Parent-Infant/child Psychotherapy Intervention (Toth et. al. 2006)
Interaction Guidance (Benoit 2001)
Parent Child Interaction Therapy (Chaffin et al. 2004).

Family focused interventions

Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (Swenson et al. 2010)

Guard against
The start-again syndrome (Brandon et.al. 2008).
Frequent oscillation between care away from home and at home.
Drift and unfocused intervention rather than authoritative practice.

4 patterns of case management identified:

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 proactive throughout
proactive case management that later became passive
passive that later became more proactive
passive throughout. (Farmer and Lutman, 2010 p.1)

Principles for effective interventions

Proactive intervention with older children and adolescents is required.
Intensive services need to be provided.
Clear cases for legal proceedings should be built.
Practitioners need skills in working effectively with non-compliant
parents.
It can be helpful to bring in a second pair of eyes to counteract common
errors. (Farmer and Lutman 2010)
When children are removed there needs to be clarity about what has to
change before their return home.
Parents should be supported to address the factors affecting parenting
capacity.
Regular and detailed reviews are required.
Effective permanence planning is needed so that children can experience
stability.

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Appendix 1 Key facts about domestic abuse
The Womens Commission: Womens Voices to Government (2010)
World Health Organisations Multi-Country study into womens health and
domestic violence against women found that between 1 in 2 and 1 in 10
women will experience some form of violence at some point in their lives.
One in 4 women will experience domestic abuse from a partner in her lifetime.
54% of cases reported to the police in 2007/08 involved repeat victimisation.
92% of rapists are known to the woman they rape.
7 out of 10 women giving evidence in rape trials will be asked about their
sexual history or character.
1,053 rapes or attempted rapes were recorded in 2007/08 in Scotland.
There were 1,666 incidents of indecent assault in the same period.
Female homicide victims are most commonly killed in a dwelling with the
motive being rage/fight with a partner.
Teenage mothers seem to be particularly likely to experience domestic abuse.
An American study found that 70% of teenage mothers at one hospital were in
a relationship with a violent partner.
A study in 2007 for England and Wales estimated that nearly 66,000 women
aged between 15 and 49 living in the UK had undergone FGM and over
20,000 girls were at risk.
Between 78% and 86% of stalking victims are female, with between 18% and
31% experiencing sexual violence within the context of stalking behaviour.
http://www.thewnc.org.uk/

Against Violence Abuse

An analysis of ten separate domestic violence prevalence studies by the
Council of Europe showed consistent findings: 1 in 4 women experience
domestic violence during their lifetime and between 6 - 10% of women
experience domestic violence in any given year. [Council of Europe (2002)
Recommendation 2002/5 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on

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 the Protection of Women Against Violence adopted on 30 April 2002 (Council
of Europe: Strasbourg, France].
Approximately 42% of domestic violence victims have been victimised more
than once. The British Crime Survey indicates that victims experience an
average of 20 incidents of domestic violence in a year, which can often
increase in severity each time. [Walby, S. and Allen, J. (2004) Domestic
violence, sexual assault and stalking: Findings from the British Crime Survey.
Home Office Development and Statistics Directorate]
Domestic violence has a higher rate of repeat victimisation than any other
crime. [Home Office, July 2002]
Every minute in the UK, the police receive a call from the public for assistance
for domestic violence. This leads to police receiving an estimated 1,300 calls
each day or over 570,000 each year. [Stanko B The Day to Count, 2000]
Approximately 77% of victims of domestic violence are women. [HM
Government (2008) Saving Lives. Reducing Harm. Protecting the Public. An
Action Plan for Tackling Violence 2008- 2011]
In the case of domestic violence, nearly one in four victims is victimised three
or more times [Povey, E., Coleman, K., Kaiza, P., Hoare, C., Jansson, K.,
(2008) Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Crime in England and Wales 2006/07.
Supplementary Volume 2 to Crime in England and Wales 2006/07]
Despite chronic under-reporting (and under-recording), approximately 16% of
all reported violent incidents to the police are characterised as domestic
violence related [Povey, E., Coleman, K., Kaiza, P., Hoare, C., Jansson, K.,
(2008) Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Crime in England and Wales 2006/07.
Supplementary Volume 2 to Crime in England and Wales 2006/07]
A thematic inspection by HMIC and HMCPSI in 2004 found across six police
forces an under-recording of domestic violence crimes (not incidents) of 50%.
[HMCPSI and HMIC (2004) Violence at Home, London]
Domestic violence accounts for 16% of homelessness acceptances. [Women
and Equality Unit (2003) Increasing Safe Accommodation Choices]
500 women who have experienced domestic violence in the last six months
commit suicide every year. Of those, just under 200 attended hospital for
domestic violence on the day that they committed suicide. [Walby, S. (2004)
The Cost of Domestic Violence. Women and Equality Unit
A study of 200 womens experiences of domestic violence found that 60% of
the women had left because they feared that they or their children would be
killed by the perpetrator. nit] [C. Humphreys and R. Thiara (2002) Routes to
Safety: Protection issues facing abused women and children and the role of
outreach service (Womens Aid Federation England: Bristol)]
http://www.avaproject.org.uk/

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Appendix 2 Addiction and dependence
Extract from Lexicon of alcohol and drug terms published by the World Health
Organization Available at
http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/terminology/who_lexicon/en/

Addiction, drug or alcohol - Repeated use of a psychoactive substance or

substances, to the extent that the user (referred to as an addict) is periodically or
chronically intoxicated, shows a compulsion to take the preferred substance (or
substances), has great difficulty in voluntarily ceasing or modifying substance use,
and exhibits determination to obtain psychoactive substances by almost any means.
Typically, tolerance is prominent and a withdrawal syndrome frequently occurs when
substance use is interrupted. The life of the addict may be dominated by substance
use to the virtual exclusion of all other activities and responsibilities. The term
addiction also conveys the sense that such substance use has a detrimental effect
on society, as well as on the individual; when applied to the use of alcohol, it is
equivalent to alcoholism.
Addiction is a term of long-standing and variable usage. It is regarded by many as a
discrete disease entity, a debilitating disorder rooted in the pharmacological effects
of the drug, which is remorselessly progressive. From the 1920s to the 1960s
attempts were made to differentiate between addiction; and habituation, a less
severe form of psychological adaptation. In the 1960s the World Health Organization
recommended that both terms be abandoned in favour of dependence, which can
exist in various degrees of severity.
Addiction is not a diagnostic term in ICD-10, but continues to be very widely
employed by professionals and the general public alike. See also: dependence;
dependence syndrome.
Dependence (F1x.2.) - As a general term, the state of needing or depending on
something or someone for support or to function or survive. As applied to alcohol
and other drugs, the term implies a need for repeated doses of the drug to feel good
or to avoid feeling bad. In DSM-IIIR, dependence is defined as a cluster of cognitive,
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behavioural and physiologic symptoms that indicate a person has impaired control of
psychoactive substance use and continues use of the substance despite adverse
consequences. It is roughly equivalent to the dependence syndrome of ICD-10. In
the ICD-I0 context, the term dependence could refer generally to any of the elements
in the syndrome. The term is often used interchangeably with addiction and
alcoholism. In 1964 a WHO Expert Committee introduced dependence to replace
addiction and habituation*.
The term can be used generally with reference to the whole range of psychoactive
drugs (drug dependence, chemical dependence, substance use dependence), or
with specific reference to a particular drug or class of drugs (e.g. alcohol
dependence, opioid dependence).
While ICD-I0 describes dependence in terms applicable across drug classes, there
are differences in the characteristic dependence symptoms for different drugs. In
unqualified form, dependence refers to both physical and psychological elements.
Psychological or psychic dependence refers to the experience of impaired control
over drinking or drug use (see craving, compulsion), while physiological or physical
dependence refers to tolerance and withdrawal symptoms (see also
neuroadaptation). In biologically-oriented discussion, dependence is often used to
refer only to physical dependence.
Dependence or physical dependence is also used in the psychopharmacological
context in a still narrower sense, referring solely to the development of withdrawal
symptoms on cessation of drug use.
In this restricted sense, cross- dependence is seen as complementary to cross-
tolerance, with both referring only to physical symptomatology (neuroadaption).
*WHO Expert Committee on Addiction-Producing Drugs. Thirteenth report of the WHO
expert Committee. Geneva,World Health Organization, 1964 (WHO Technical Report Series,
No.273).

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Appendix 3 motivation to change

Assessment of motivation to change

In an increasingly pressured and target-driven environment, working to avoid drift is
seen as beneficial both in terms of effective use of resources and better outcomes
for children and young people. However, chronic neglect may require long-term
intensive support and the difficulties which agencies have in responding to the needs
of neglected children can result in a revolving door of service provision (Tanner and
Turney in Taylor and Daniel 2003) and a tendency towards a start again mentality
(Brandon et al 2008) where a clean sheet approach is taken to every fresh referral.
If drift is to be avoided then practitioners need to be clear about what changes they
are measuring, how they will be measured and what will be done as a consequence
of change or a lack of change. Howarth (2007) advises that a parents capacity to
meet a childs needs is dependent on:
opportunity
ability
motivation
All three aspects should therefore be considered in an assessment of neglect.
Assessment of motivation and capacity for change is particularly challenging and two
models can help practitioners establish a picture of these variables more clearly and
accurately.
Some parents may appear to want to change or may say that they want to change
but their behaviour, particularly their behaviour towards the child, is no different.
Change in parenting capacity is personal level change and is unlikely to be achieved
just by teaching parenting skills (Donald and Jureidini 2004).
Given that such change is of significance for both the child and the parent, it is
important that the assessment of the degree of change is both accurate and
thorough. Horwath and Morrison (2001) provide a model for assessing the extent to
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which there is genuine motivation to change. Motivation is plotted on two dimensions
of effort and commitment to change:

Assessing Motivation
[Excerpt: Howarth (2001) The Childs World:
Assessing children in need. London: Jessica Kingsley
Publishers (p109)]
High effort and high commitment to change is genuine commitment to change.
For example, I know its important for Lee to go to nursery so I get everything ready
in the evening so we dont have to rush in the morning.
High effort and low commitment to change is compliance imitation or approval
seeking.
For example, I get her to nursery at 9.30am because that is what is written in the
care plan.
Low effort and high commitment to change is tokenism.
For example, Im happy for Lee to go to nursery as long as you fetch her and bring
her back in a taxi.
Low effort and low commitment to change is dissent or avoidance.
For example, The nursery seems to be doing more harm than good; he comes back
really tired so why bother?
External motivators are not nearly as effective as internally held motivators. The
adage You can take a horse to water but you cant make it drink aptly captures the
reality that the greater the internal force for change, the better the future prognosis
and vice versa. Calder (2002, p371) suggests that the following questions may be
helpful for parents to consider:
Why is it important that I change?
Do I have the ability to change?
What does change really mean?
What will I have to do that I cant do now?
What will I not have to do that I do now?
Who can help me change in what way?
What (if anything) have I tried to change in the past and was it successful?
A continuum of motivation (Calder 2002; Morrison 1991) addresses a range of
motivational statements, from External motivators (I dont have any problems) along
a continuum to a series of increasingly internalised motivators, culminating in the
Internal motivator which expresses a clear commitment to change ( I want to
change).
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Continuum of Motivation
One of the few really effective ways of gauging whether parents are able and willing
to change within a timescale that is appropriate for the child is to monitor very closely
whether the childs lived experience has improved on a day-to-day basis (Daniel and
Rioch 2007). Who is in a position to provide this kind of monitoring? How can they be
supported to gather and make sense of these observations so as to allow an
accurate assessment of change?
A model of change is highlighted in Calder (2003), based on the Cycle of Change by
Prochaska and DiClemente, (1992) reflecting the process of change and indicating
stages of change and points at which the participant might exit from the change
process and what their exit indicates.
A version of Prochaska and DiClementes original model is provided below. This
model is useful in providing a means of evaluating the changes an individual has
made or has yet to make. It also reminds us that change is a natural cycle with clear
stages which should be worked through in sequence to attain a healthy and
potentially abiding state of change.

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Appendix 3- Understanding beglect from a parents view

Understanding neglect: parents/carers perspectives

Whilst the childs welfare must always be the paramount consideration, of central
importance in working with complex cases is to provide a dependable, professional
relationship for families and children that is educative, supportive and provides timely
help (Thoburn 2009:7)
The relationship between parents/carers and professionals when there are child
welfare concerns can be both complex and difficult. However, as nearly all children
remain at or quickly return home, involving the families in the child protection
process is likely to be effective. Moreover, partnership working is likely to lead to
better outcomes for children.
So, while there are significant demands associated with developing partnership
approaches, there are also clear rewards in terms of effectiveness. This was
stressed in the Department of Health summaries of research findings: Child
Protection: Messages from Research (Department of Health 1995), The Children Act
Now: Messages from Research (Department of Health 2001) and Safeguarding
Children Across Services: Messages from research on identifying and responding to
child maltreatment (Davies and Ward 2012).
The essential elements of relationship-based psycho-social casework (combining
elements of care and control) are based on evidence from research studies that
services are unlikely to be effective if parents and children do not consider that they
are treated with honesty and respect as a minimum, and cared about as individuals
with needs of their own (as required by the Principles and Practice guidance
published with the Children Act 1989 (Department of Health 1995).
The task then is to empathise and work with parents (wherever possible) while
retaining a focus on the child and their welfare. Forrester et al (2008:24) suggest that
specific challenges will include how to be honest and clear with parents without
creating hostility; how to be empathic without colluding with unacceptable behaviour;
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how, in short, to reconcile the different imperatives of the role within practice with
parents. This, they suggest is sometimes understood as the challenge of working in
partnership with parents.
In 1995 the Department of Health published The Challenge of Partnership in Child
Protection (Department of Health 1995). Four approaches to partnership were
suggested:
providing information
involvement
participation
partnership
parents view

Research and Links

Publications
Birleson, P. (1981) The validity of depressive disorder in childhood and the development of
a selfrating scale: a research report. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 22,
7388.
Brandon, M., Bailey, S., Belderson, P., Warren, C. Gardner, R. and Dodsworth, J. (2009)
Understanding Serious Case Reviews and their Impact. London: Department for
Children, Schools and Families. http://bit.ly/1i2eYf5
Cleaver, H., Unell, I. and Aldgate, J. (2011) Childrens Needs Parenting Capacity. Child
Abuse: Parental mental illness, learning disability, substance misuse and domestic
violence (2nd edition). London: The Stationery Office.
Daniel, B., Taylor, J. and Scott, J. (2011) Recognizing and Helping the Neglected Child:
Evidencebased practice for assessment and intervention. London: Jessica Kingsley
Publishers(Chapter 5).
Davies, C. and Ward, H. (2012) Safeguarding Children Across Services: Messages from
research. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. http://bit.ly/GXRZGx
Farmer, E. and Lutman, E. (2010) Case management and outcomes for neglected children
returned to their parents: a five year follow-up study. Research Brief. London:
Department forChildren, Schools and Families. http://bit.ly/19WH7VK
Goodman, R., Meltzer, H. and Bailey, V. (1998) The Strengths and Difficulties
Questionnaire: a pilot study on the validity of the self-report version. European Child
and Adolescent Psychiatry 7, 125130.
Hester, M., Pearson, C. and Harwin, N. (2000) Making an Impact: Children and domestic
violence. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Horwath, J. (2007) Child Neglect: Identification and assessment. Basingstoke: Palgrave
Macmillan.

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Horwath, J. (2013) Child Neglect: Planning and intervention. Second edition. Basingstoke:
Palgrave Macmillan.
Jack, G. and Gill, O. (2003) The Missing Side of the Triangle: Assessing the importance of
family and environmental factors in the lives of children. Barkingside: Barnardos.
McLeod, A. (2008) Listening to Children: A practitioners guide. London: Jessica Kingsley
Publishers.
Moran, P. (2009) Neglect: Research evidence to inform practice. London: Action for
Children.
Nair, P., Schuler, M.E., Black, M.M., Kettinger, L. and Harrington, D. (2003) Cumulative
environmental risk in substance abusing women: early intervention, parenting stress,
child abuse potential and child development. Child Abuse and Neglect 27, 9, 997
1017.
Spencer, N. and Baldwin, N. (2005) Economic, cultural and social contexts of neglect. In J.
Taylor and B. Daniel (eds) Child Neglect: Practice issues for health and social care.
London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Tools and resources
Assessing parenting and the family life of children (training course) http://bit.ly/17yoH7P
In My Shoes: A computer-assisted interview for communicating with children, young people
and vulnerable adults http://bit.ly/1i21IHj

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CFT040214 Focus on Parenting Capacity