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BJSW Advance Access originally published online on August 29, 2007
British Journal of Social Work 2009 39(1):46-63; doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcm088
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved.

High Thresholds and Prevention in Children’s Services: The Impact of Mothers’ Coping Strategies on Outcome of Child and Parenting Problems—Six Month Follow-Up

Michael Sheppard

Dr Michael Sheppard is Professor in the School of Applied Psychosocial Studies, University of Plymouth

Correspondence to Professor Michael Sheppard, University of Plymouth, School of Applied Psychosocial Studies, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK. E-mail: m.sheppard{at}plymouth.ac.uk


  Abstract

High thresholds characterizing the provision of Children’s Services have become increasingly apparent in recent years, and concerns that these thresholds mean that high need families do not receive a service have been expressed in key policy documents. This is despite a commitment, in policy and practice, to Prevention as an underlying theme for services. When referral is followed by a failure to access services, the coping strategies of the parents, in particular the mother, who is generally the primary caregiver, become of particular practical importance. These coping strategies are also of theoretical interest, being a key element of the newly developed concept of Proto Prevention, which extends our previous understanding of this area. This paper focuses on the coping strategies of families who were unsuccessful applicants for Children’s Services, and asks: Which coping strategies were most effective in securing positive outcomes? It was found that the direct actions of the mother, and avoidance strategies such as denial or acceptance had little effect. However, seeking social support was associated with more positive outcomes in child development and parenting, and denial and disengagement with an increase in depression symptoms. The implications of these findings, for policy and practice, are discussed.

Keywords: children in need, parenting, mothers’ coping, prevention


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