Implementation Science and Fidelity Measurement: A Test of the 3-5-7 Model™

Children and youths engaged with the child welfare system can experience grief and loss as a result of trauma, broken relationships, and inadequate attachments. Interventionists are often challenged to implement effective strategies that help youths to reestablish trusting relationships and to promote overall psychological well-being. A 5-year federal demonstration project funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau, guided by an implementation science model, sought to increase well-being in youths age 12–21 who were involved in the child welfare system. The 3-5-7 Model™, a strengths-based approach that empowers children, youths, and families to engage in grieving and integrating significant relationships, was studied. A fidelity system was created in order to test the model. Important lessons about implementation science guided the work of the demonstration project. Although definitive conclusions could not be reached, several indicators of psychological well-being were found to be associated with high levels of fidelity to the 3-5-7 ModelTM. Suggestions for future research are offered

Public Child Welfare and a Multi-Agency Collaborative: Lessons Learned From the DREAMR Project

A five-year federal demonstration project funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau, guided by an implementation science model, sought to increase well-being in youths age 12–21 who had involvement with the child welfare system. By increasing the youths’ relational competency skills, the project targeted the reduction of multiple risk factors, including teen pregnancy, depression, anxiety, stress, and other indicators of adverse psychosocial well-being. The project, led by the local child welfare authority, was implemented by a multi-organization collaborative comprising several private nonprofit child- and family-serving agencies, public health, legal entities, private sector (i.e., technology software company), and university researchers. Various barriers to successful program implementation were experienced while at the same time the project witnessed key markers of implementation success. Reported here are some of the strategies used to overcome barriers to implementation success. Also described are the results of an implementation evaluation in which collaborative members assessed the project on its overall effectiveness in meeting indicators of success that were decided a priori and included youth involvement, adherence to program goals, involvement of all partners, accountability, communication, and stakeholder satisfaction. Implications and strategies for promoting interagency collaboration in the context of child welfare are offered

Incredible Years parenting programme: cost-effectiveness and implementation

Purpose – There is growing interest in the economic evaluation of public health prevention initiatives and increasing government awareness of the societal costs of conduct disorder in early childhood. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the cost-effectiveness of the Incredible Years (IY) BASIC parenting programme compared with a six-month waiting list control. Design/methodology/approach – Cost-effectiveness analysis alongside a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of a group-parenting programme. The primary outcome measure was the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), a measure of child behaviour. Findings – The IY programme was found to have a high probability of being cost-effective, shifting an additional 23 per cent of children from above the clinical concern to below the cut-off on the SDQ compared to the control group, at a cost ranging from £1612-£2418 per child, depending on the number of children in the group. Originality/value – The positive findings of this study have led to ongoing implementation of the IY programme and is therefore an example of commitment to evidence-based service provision and investment in prevention initiatives

The UK stand together trial: protocol for a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of KiVa to reduce bullying in primary schools

Background Reducing bullying is a public health priority. KiVa, a school-based anti-bullying programme, is effective in reducing bullying in Finland and requires rigorous testing in other countries, including the UK. This trial aims to test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of KiVa in reducing child reported bullying in UK schools compared to usual practice. The trial is currently on-going. Recruitment commenced in October 2019, however due to COVID-19 pandemic and resulting school closures was re-started in October 2020. Methods Design: Two-arm pragmatic multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial with an embedded process and cost-effectiveness evaluation. Participants: 116 primary schools from four areas; North Wales, West Midlands, South East and South West England. Outcomes will be assessed at student level (ages 7–11 years; n = approximately 13,000 students). Intervention: KiVa is a whole school programme with universal actions that places a strong emphasis on changing bystander behaviour alongside indicated actions that provide consistent strategies for dealing with incidents of bullying. KiVa will be implemented over one academic year. Comparator: Usual practice. Primary outcome: Student-level bullying-victimisation assessed through self-report using the extensively used and validated Olweus Bully/Victim questionnaire at baseline and 12-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes: student-level bullying-perpetration; student mental health and emotional well-being; student level of, and roles in, bullying; school related well-being; school attendance and academic attainment; and teachers’ self-efficacy in dealing with bullying, mental well-being, and burnout. Sample size: 116 schools (58 per arm) with an assumed ICC of 0.02 will provide 90% power to identify a relative reduction of 22% with a 5% significance level. Randomisation: recruited schools will be randomised on 1:1 basis stratified by Key-Stage 2 size and free school meal status. Process evaluation: assess implementation fidelity, identify influences on KiVa implementation, and examine intervention mechanisms. Economic evaluation: Self-reported victimisation, Child Health Utility 9D, Client Service Receipt Inventory, frequency of services used, and intervention costs. The health economic analysis will be conducted from a schools and societal perspective. Discussion This two-arm pragmatic multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial will evaluate the KiVa anti-bullying intervention to generate evidence of the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and scalability of the programme in the UK. Our integrated process evaluation will assess implementation fidelity, identify influences on KiVa implementation across England and Wales and examine intervention mechanisms. The integrated health economic analysis will be conducted from a schools and societal perspective. Our trial will also provide evidence regarding the programme impact on inequalities by testing whether KiVa is effective across the socio-economic gradient

Are you a spider?

Ofrece información a los niños más pequeños a través del ciclo de vida de una araña. Con un texto divertido se hace la comparación entre una araña y un niño y se examinan las diferencias que hay entre ambos para ayudar a entender los procesos de la vida y ver las similitudes y diferencias entre las arañas y los seres humanos.SCBiblioteca de Educación del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte; Calle San Agustín, 5 - 3 planta; 28014 Madrid; Tel. +34917748000; [email protected]

Are you a snail?

Ofrece información a los niños más pequeños a través del ciclo de vida de un caracol. Cuando el lector mira la vida desde la perspectiva de un caracol le permite ampliar su comprensión por estos animales. El texto informativo que sigue a partir de la pregunta de si es un caracol lleva a los niños a imaginarse cómo nacer, qué comer, cómo crecer, y emprender actividades a través de su metamorfosis. Al final hay un par de páginas de datos adicionales acerca de sus encarnaciones de fantasía para llegar a la conclusión de que un niño no tiene concha en su espalda, no tiene cuernos y los ojos no se encuentran en ellos. Puede hacer muchas cosas que un caracol no puede hacer. Además, no tiene miedo de tordos o zorros.Lo mejor de todo, no es el animal baboso más pequeño. Para niños hasta ocho años.SCBiblioteca de Educación del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte; Calle San Agustín, 5 - 3 planta; 28014 Madrid; Tel. +34917748000; [email protected]

Are you an ant?

Ofrece información a los niños más pequeños a través del ciclo de vida de un hormiga. Cuando el lector mira la vida desde la perspectiva de una hormiga le permite ampliar su comprensión por estos animales. El texto informativo que sigue a partir de la pregunta de si es una hormiga lleva a los niños a imaginarse cómo nacer, qué comer, cómo crecer, y emprender actividades a través de su metamorfosis en insecto. Al final hay un par de páginas de datos adicionales acerca de sus encarnaciones de fantasía para llegar a la conclusión de que un niño usted no tiene que cuidar de los huevos y las larvas. ni de la leche de los pulgones. Y lo mejor de todo, las aves nunca, van a ir a buscarlo con su pico. Para niños de hasta ocho años.SCBiblioteca de Educación del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte; Calle San Agustín, 5 - 3 planta; 28014 Madrid; Tel. +34917748000; [email protected]

Are you a ladybird?

Ofrece información a los niños más pequeños a través del ciclo de vida de una mariquita. Cuando el lector mira la vida desde la perspectiva de una mariquita le permite ampliar su comprensión por estos animales. El texto informativo que sigue a partir de la pregunta de si es una mariquita lleva a los niños a imaginarse cómo nacer, qué comer, cómo crecer, y emprender actividades a través de su metamorfosis en insecto. Al final hay un par de páginas de datos adicionales acerca de sus encarnaciones de fantasía para llegar a la conclusión de que un niño no cambia su piel a medida que crece, no puede volar. También es muy poco probable que sea rojo con puntos negros, y nunca tendrá que comer pulgones.SCBiblioteca de Educación del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte; Calle San Agustín, 5 - 3 planta; 28014 Madrid; Tel. +34917748000; [email protected]