Page 5 - The Empowerment Approach Evidence Chart

Summary

The Empowerment Approach has been developed over a number of years by a team of educationalists, psychologists and

coaches. The approach uniquely brings together a range of disciplines and incorporates the ideas and theories from a range

of seminal authors, such as Albert Bandura, Eric Berne, Alfred Adler, Rudolf Dreikurs, Haim Ginott and John Bowlby. It

combines these with the work of modern experts such as Lisa Feldman-Barrett, Daniel Siegel, Stuart Shanker, Ellen Braaten

and Peter Fonagy, to name just a few. Details on the wide number of experts who have influenced the approach can be
found in the reading lists in the final pages of this document.

The approach is not simply a strategy for managing behaviour but rather a cultural shift in how difficulties are perceived

and children are supported in securing long-term essential life skills, mental well-being and future success. It utilises

neurobiology and the neuroscience of safety and threat to support young people, their families and their adult supporters in understanding the factors underlying

unhelpful behaviours. It goes on to provide a clear and structured approach based on this scientific evidence for responding to concerns and difficulties, problem

solving and working towards future progress. The structured nature of the approach along with its clear
principles, mantras (providing a hook for remembering these principles), tools and visual

supports within each section supports an easily accessible application of the approach for

all ages.

Along with the key elements of the approach, the programme also incorporates a toolkit

of techniques, models and tools which support specific difficulties, issues and contexts.

These have in many cases been adapted for yo ung people from existing models (for references, please see ‘The

Empowerment Toolkit’ document) and shaped through professional enquiry and evaluation of their efficacy with a wide range of young people of different ages
and cognitive profiles. They are designed to be chosen when relevant – just as a carpenter chooses the right tool for the task in hand - and each model and tool

will therefore be relevant and resonate to a greater or lesser extent for different individuals.

In developing the approach, a central focus was to ensure the young person’s voice, understanding of behaviour and metacognitive skills would be supported and

strengthened in all elements of the programme. To this end, the use of structured models, visual cues and simple tools is interweaved throughout the different

units. There is an emphasis on developing a shared language accessible to all, from the youngest pre-schooler to elderly grandparent.

An independent review by IPSOS MORI in August 2020 confirmed that there is strong quantitative and qualitative evidence gathered from multiple evidence

reviews and meta-analysis of existing interventions and grey literature underpinning our approach.

On the next pages, this evidence base is summarised for each of the different elements of our approach.