My PhD research focused on exploring the influencing factors on the outcome of parent-child intervention and followed parents placed in either a residential or foster-care placement with their babies for 12 weeks. I identified distinct thematic differences between those who had a positive outcome and returned to the community with their babies and those that did not, and these themes became factors termed ‘change facilitators’ or ‘change inhibitors’. My study concluded that a focus on identifying ‘change facilitators’ and ‘change inhibitors’, at the family assessment stage could help to inform the types of interventions required. This approach may therefore provide families with an increased likelihood of making the desired improvements and remaining together. This question needs to be asked gently and sensitively. It is important to gain an understanding of how a parent’s love is experienced by the child, and this question alone can trigger a moment of reflection for the parent and connection with whether their child might feel loved by them. This extract focuses on a key principle of modern attachment theory – mentalization – in relation to parenting behaviours. The capacity to mentalize A foster carer who doesn’t mentalize for the child can not offer them the sensitive and attuned response they need, especially when they may be demonstrating challenging or distressing behaviour.

This may be something that this child has never really experienced before but it is central to them feeling safe and cared for with the family they now find themselves in. Cook A. (2012) Combating neglect using the principles of attachment theory. Children England Quarterly Journal, 51, pp. 8-9. We have been using a mentalization based video intervention, alongside some other tools and techniques, to do some much needed ‘repair’ in relation to her relationship with her older child. CAMHS had identified severe 'attachment issues'. If you’re familiar with the ballet world, you’ll hear some familiar stories and the history of some very famous names, but there’s lots here that was new to me even as a ballet enthusiast. And if you’re new to the topic, this is an approachable and informative primer.It would be great to include multiple professions, Education, Law, Health and Police…please do also get involved! Alice — artist, athlete, banjo player, sailor, founder of the Staten Island Garden Club, the first woman to own a car in the borough — has come as close to absolute freedom as a woman of her era could come, transcending the narrow roadways of her time with her wheels, her lens, and her love. Alice Austen and her bicycle, circa 1897. ( Alice Austen House archive.) This video intervention relies on the parent and child spending time doing an activity together each week that is recorded and then we review this together. Aside from being a great tool to help mum connect to what her daughter is thinking and feeling and better understand her needs, it has the added bonus of shining a light on their connection, their smiles, their laughter…and honestly it can be nothing short of magic... and I am so grateful I get to do this work and see how positive it can be for families ✨ Looking forward to connecting. I know how great you all are but the time has come to tell everyone else! 💫

The success of this intervention relies on her ability to feel seen, heard and understood by me and that gives me the best chance of helping her to do this for her daughter. Dr Loving has worked within the field of Child Protection for eleven years and currently works independently providing parental assessments and intervention work for local authorities. Dr Loving delivers attachmentand relationship based practice training to social care practitioners within the UK and Ireland.This capacity is particularly important in parenting. Some parents may struggle to understand that their child has different needs, experiences and feelings to theirs. Some parents feed their child when they, the parent, are hungry, not when the child is; or overstimulate the child because they, the parent, are bored. Loving, A & Shemmings, D. (In press) Working with cases of neglect and emotional abuse. In Fernandez, F. &Delfabbro, P. (eds) Child Protection and the Care Continuum: Theoretical, Empirical and Practice Insights. Crows Nest: Routledge, pp.121-142 Over her long life, Alice Austen took more than 8,000 photographs, turning her sensitive and daring lens toward the lives of immigrants, child laborers, New York “street types,” and people for whom Victorian culture had neither terms nor tenderness and whom we might call LGBT today. Alice Austen’s friend Maria Ward, who went by Violet, with partner, circa 1890. ( Alice Austen House archive.) Children in foster care must experience a caregiver who has a curiosity for what is going on inside their mind, what are they thinking…how are they feeling? Drawing on his magazine connections, he secured publication of Alice’s work in Life, which raised enough funds to migrate her to a nursing home. He then built on the initial visibility to organize an exhibition of her work at a local museum in 1951 — the first and only in her lifetime. When the show opened on October 7, now celebrated as Alice Austen Day, Alice was there with Gertrude by her side. A friend’s young sons in what Alice called her “express wagon,” May 1889. ( Alice Austen House archive.) Six women, Staten Island, 1895. ( Alice Austen House archive.)