Exploring the effect of an attachment intervention in areas of multiple deprivation on adult–child interaction and the implications for children's social, emotional and behavioural development

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the incidence of children’s social, emotional and behavioural difficulties within areas of multiple deprivation in one Local Authority in Wales and the potential effects of targeted training interventions on the quality of adult–child interactions. The quality of adult–child interaction was measured pre and post-test using the Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Wellbeing Scale (SSTEW). Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) identified social, emotional and behavioural difficulties of children aged two to three years old illustrating the levels of difficulties presented by children attending Flying Start childcare. The SDQ results highlight a high incidence of social emotional and behavioural difficulties for children in areas of multiple deprivation. The SSTEW results highlight the potential impact of targeted professional development on the quality of adult–child interactions with the consideration that good quality childcare is associated with better outcomes for emotional, hyperactivity and peer problems with an improvement in pro-social skills.

KEYWORDS:

• Poverty
• quality adult–child interactions
• emotional development
• areas of multiple deprivation
• early intervention
• attachment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Natalie Macdonald

Natalie MacDonald is programme director at University of Wales Trinity Saint David specialising in Early Years provision and pedagogy. Natalie has significant Early Years sector experience including Flying Start and Foundation Phase, Natalie has extensive experience of working with children and families in areas of disadvantage and has a keen research interest in the impact of early intervention strategies, policy, pedagogy and initiatives to eradicate the impact of poverty.

Ann-Marie Gealy

Ann-Marie Gealy is the Director of Discipline for Early Years at UWTSD. She has an interest in sustained shared thinking with young children, young children’s creativity together with Early Years practitioners’ attitudes to science and how they facilitate scientific thinking with young children.

Glenda Tinney

Glenda Tinney is a UWTSD early years lecturer with an interest in children’s rights. In recent years she has been exploring the connections between learning in nature, citizenship, sustainability and children’s rights, making links to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Wales’s Wellbeing of Future Generations Act.