Page 6 - Refresher Overview November 2020

Summary

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

coaches. As noted earlier, 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 secondary quantitative and qualitative evidence gathered from multiple

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