Effectiveness - Assess, Plan, Report
Effectiveness - The evidence that we use to demonstrate our effectiveness is contained in the plans and reports which we share with the child, their carers or family and all professionals involved with the child. The principle evidence is a reduction in or elimination of problems as identified in each child’s Placement and Action Plan and Review Report.
We also use an improvement in achievement in school as evidence as children who are healthy and benefitting from therapy are more able to achieve in school. The most crucial demonstration of effectiveness is that we increase the time children can spend with parents or carers successfully as reported by the children and carers.
Key measures of effectiveness
- Reduction in or elimination of problems as identified in each child’s Placement and Action Plan and Review Report
- Engagement in therapy and reduction in trauma symptoms as measured by the trauma symptom checklist
- Improvement in NC levels or P scales in school
- Increase in time they can spend with parents or carers successfully as reported by the children and carers
- Reduction of difficulties and increase in strengths measured by Strength and Difficulties Questionnaires
- Increase in self esteem and empathy evidenced through regular, researched outcomes measures
- Improvement in achievement in school
- Eventual transition to full time carers and day school, either for special needs or mainstream
Ultimately we measure our success by helping children make an eventual transition to full time family and day school, either for special needs or mainstream. In the last four years 94% of our leavers have achieved this.
Assessment - Each child has an initial assessment which the therapist conducts, this can take up to six sessions. This includes a thorough consideration of the child’s history and contact with the professionals and family as appropriate.
This assessment has two purposes, firstly to inform the teams working with the child about themes emerging in therapy and how that child can best be helped. Secondly to assess if the child is able to access their own individual weekly therapy.
Planning – An appropriate therapist is allocated when the child is ready to access therapy. On rare occasions a child may need a few more weeks to settle with us, but for the vast majority of children, individual therapy starts straight after assessment.
We will assign the most appropriate therapist to work on a weekly basis with the individual child. The therapist provides updated reports on each agreed intervention and details the progress made by the child, reporting to and attending LAC reviews wherever possible. These reports are submitted to the placing Authority.
Reporting - We measure the effectiveness of our therapy through feedback from the children, most clearly evidenced by engagement in therapy and described in six monthly reports and through a reduction in the evidence of trauma symptoms as measured by the trauma symptom checklist. The Therapist creates a therapeutic treatment plan, which becomes part of the child’s Placement Plan.
A child-centred, safe space to explore their thoughts and feelings
Engage in therapy, which enables them to process their feelings and experience
We aim to support them to:
Build self-confidence, emotional competence and resilience
Develop self-management skills and positive self-perception
To the ultimate goals of supporting them to:
Gain a sense of social responsibility and moral values
