Page 10 - The Empowerment Approach Evidence Chart

Element of Key Points from Evidence Base What this means for those supporting Key tools/resources developed within Leading experts working in the field
Programme young people & their families our programme related to this
Child’s Mentalisation, the ability to understand Much negative behaviour is driven ▪ Our mantra: Knowledge of self is power
Understanding the mental state, of oneself or others, subconsciously: although children generally to self’. Positive impact of metacognition

of Self at the that underlies overt behaviour has been know what they are doing is not helpful to ▪ The focus on the child being at the strategies - EEF:
Core of the found to be a key factor in effective others, they are rarely clear on what drives centre of this approach runs through https://educationendowmentfounda
Empowerment intervention programmes (Peter Fonagy) the behaviour. every aspect of the programme – from tion.org.uk/evidence-
Approach By understanding and making sense of their the high focus on concrete and visual
Metacognition has been identified as a behavioural responses, a child is enabled to resources, the adaptation of all models summaries/teaching-learning-toolkit
high impact factor in interventions (EEF) move from subconscious autonomic for use with children and the creation

responses to conscious control of self. of action plans, reports and tools Peter Fonagy:
Knowledge of self is power to self’ – the designed for the child not simply for https://www.annafreud.org/about-
more children can understand and make adults. us/meet-the-leadership-
sense of their behavioural responses, the ▪ The Me Mindsearch & You Mindsearch team/professor-peter-fonagy-chief-
more they will be in a position to take model executive/
control and plan for positive change. By ▪ The Chair Swap Model
knowing needs, they will be in a position to See also research into the Mirror

meet these in more helpful ways. Neuron System, e.g. Van Overwalle
The process of mentalisation – the skill of and Baetens, 2009).
analysing and making sense of one’s own
thoughts, feelings and those of others, has
been found to be a key factor in the efficacy

of intervention programmes (Fonagy, 2018).
Understanding Challenging behaviour arises due to the When a child presents with challenging ▪ Brain Best Needs & 6 categories of Dr Stuart Shanker
& Reducing child experiencing stressors in one or behaviour, the first step should be to work needs
Stressors: more domains. with the child to identify stressors. ▪ The Cups Model: we all have differing https://self-reg.ca/wp-
Overview levels of need. content/uploads/2017/10/SCIENCE_prin
In order for children to make progress, Once the stressors are identified, adults ▪ Stressor Spotting Model: working out table.pdf?pdf=science-backgrounder
we must identify and reduce these should work with the child to reduce these stressors using the Needs/Stressor

stressors. stressors. cards https://self-reg.ca/self-reg/self-
▪ Principle: when cups of (physical, regknowledge-series/
Many children have poor body awareness emotional or cognitive) needs are not
and are not able to recognise signs of stress. met well, young people can ‘feel Body aware: see also Daniel Siegel
This needs to be taught and practised. prickly’. strategies e.g. Body Scanning

▪ Our mantra: ‘When children feel
Children need regular strategies for energy prickly, they act prickly’. Although our ‘Three Brain Needs’ model
restoration and experiencing inner calm. ▪ Our mantra: ‘Be curious, not furious’ is based loosely on the concept of the
This is different for each person and needs about behaviour. What’s inside the Triune Brain (MacLean, 1990) it has
to be explored and weaved into routines. prickle?’ been adapted to take account of
▪ Concept of filling cups – meeting unmet criticism of MacLean’s work (e.g. Reiner,
needs. 1990) and follows Geary’s (2002)
▪ Strategies for become body aware premise that: “The Triune brain concept
▪ Strategies for finding calm. may be wrong in some of its particulars,

▪ I can self-reg rubric right in others, but still very useful and
valid in its more general features.”