The document discusses the VERP project aimed at enhancing the skills of newly qualified social workers through video interaction guidance (VIG). It outlines the methodology, training structure, and evaluations, highlighting increases in confidence and knowledge among participants, particularly in the intervention group. Key principles include a strengths-based approach to interaction and the importance of attuned communication between parents and children.

1. VERP Project With Newly Qualified
Social Workers
October 25th, 2012
Robin Sen (University of Sheffield)
r.n.sen@sheffield.ac.uk
1

2. Introduction
• Introduce VIG and VERP
• Focus on the process of what we did
• Consider evaluation methodology and data for
this project
• Reflect on learning from the project
2

3. Acknowledgments
• Higher Education Authority
• Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
• Hilary Kennedy Avig

4. AVIGuk Projects in UK March 2012
Social Work
Health
Education
Charity
University postgraduate
80 AVIGuk supervisors
www.videointeractionguidance.net 750 trained practitioners
At least 500 in training

5. The core principle for attuned interaction
Returns look to
Eg child points child, smiles
at ball 1. Child‘s Initiative 2. Parent‘s Reception and then looks
and looks back towards ball
at parent saying ‘ball’
Context
Saying ‘Yes, you
Vigorous nod can see the ball up
And returns
3. Parent‘s Response high. I think you
look from
4. Child‘s Reception New initiative want it’.
ball to parent In approving
tone, looking from
ball to child
Pulls parent Parent gets ball down
towards ball for child
And points
5. Child‘s Response 6. Parent‘s Reception and gives it saying
again looking (second turn) ‘there you are’ .
Back at parent With friendly look
and tone
.
Interaction can continue

6. VIG and VERP
VIG VERP
• Parent-child interaction • Developed in the UK from
• Roots in Netherlands (in VIG
social work!) • Focus on inter-professional
• Brought to UK in late communication and
1980s/90s interaction with service
• Strong evidence based in users
Netherlands • Tool for reflection on
• Emerging evidence base practice

7. Building blocks for Possible impact of each block
parent as care-giver for child as care-seeker
Is helped to manage difficult situations 3.
DEEPENING or learn new things MEDIATED LEARNING
DISCUSSION
Developing the
Enjoys being helped and learning attuned relationship
GUIDING from their parents
Enjoys interacting with their
2.
ATTUNED INTERACTION parent
INTERSUBJECTIVITY
Experiencing being The core of
Parent led
received, parent commenting on attuned
RECEIVING INITIATIVES what they are doing and their interactions
wishes
Knows their parents are
ENCOURAGING INITIATIVES interested in what they are 1.
doing and their wishes TOWARDS
INTERSUBJECTIVITY
Feels love, recognized Pre-requisite for
BEING ATTENTIVE and important building
attuned interactions

8. The Project
‘Control Group’ NQSWs ‘Intervention Group’
11 NQSWs 6
Consultant
SWs (4)
SW Lecturers 2
8

9. The format of training
• Day One (Full Day)
Introduction to VIG and techniques for filming and
reviewing
• Day Two (Half-day)
Reviewing films and making plans for change
• Day Three (Half-day)
Review/ supervision session with strengths and working
points. Introduction to difficult conversations with
families
• Day Four (Half-day)
Review/ supervision session. Deepening discussion on
difficult conversations
• Day Five (Full day)
Presentation of edited films by participants.
9

10. Some key principles
• Strengths based approach to work
• Coaching/Guiding not Teaching approach
• Parallel processes for ‘guider’ and ‘guidee’
• ‘Difficult’ conversations or ‘just’ conversations
10

11. 11

12. Turn Taking and Deepening Discussion
Developing Attuned Interactions:
 Waiting attentively from your turn
 Giving a second (and further) turn on same topic
 Giving and taking short turns
 Interrupting long turns in the yes cycle
Deepening the discussion by
 Supporting goal-setting
 Sharing viewpoints, collaborative discussion, problem-solving
 Naming difference of opinion; contradictions/conflicts
 Investigating the intentions behind words
 Reaching new shared understandings
 Managing conflict
12

13. Evaluation
13

14. Outcomes of social work education
Carpenter’s (2005)
levels of outcomes
4. Benefit to Users and Carers
3a. Changes in Behaviour
3b. Changes in Organisational Practice
2a. Changing Attitudes and Perceptions
2b. Acquisition Knowledge and Skills
1. Learner’s Reactions

15. Evaluation Data
Intervention
Control Group
Group NQSWs
NQSWs 9
5
Consultant
Social
Workers 4
15

16. Evaluation Design
All NQSWs
• Time 1 (1) [start of training] and Time 2 (2) [end of
training] self-evaluation questionnaire
• Vignette scenario at start (T1) and end (T2) of
training
• Open questions about their training
Intervention Group Only
• Feedback on VIG training
16

17. • Carpenter's Levels 1, 2a and 2b
– Learner’s Responses (Feedback Sheets on
Training)
– Changes in Attitudes and Perceptions (Self-
evaluation questionnaire)
– Acquisition of knowledge and skills (Vignettes)
17

18. 1. Learners’ Responses to VIG
Very helpful in developing Change of thought
communication skills and around [my]
strengths based positives/strengths
approaches. VIG clearly
has great potential for use
in many roles.
Despite our initial Negatives:
doubts, it has been -Time
beneficial and a real -Technology
Has built not always
privilege to have
[my] had the opportunity
working
confidence to take part.

19. Changes in attitude/acquisition of
knowledge and skills
• Please see handouts at back of slides
• Consultants – Increase in average confidence levels by 15
points or more on all areas from T0 to T1.
• Control group – increases in confidence in 12/15 areas, one of
15 points or more. Decrease in 3 areas, not related to
communication skills.
• Intervention group – increases in confidence in 14/15 areas.
and two areas where increases of 15 points or more.
• Two areas of difference between CG and IG can be linked to
course syllabus of VERP training.
19

20. Acquisition of knowledge and skills
• Positive differences in both groups between t0
and t1 other than for
– CG in Areas 4. 8. and 9
– IG no areas but Area 9. no change
• Strong evidence of gains in areas 1. and 6. for
both groups, with slightly better gains for IG
• Significant positive difference in Area 4
• Significant negative difference in Area 7

21. Conclusions and reflections
• Positive learners’ reactions to VERP after tricky start
• Increased self-confidence in skills with some greater
increases for IG
• Increased knowledge evidenced most areas for both
groups with similar gains.
– Greater gains for IG in some areas related to VERP
– But also greater gain for CG in one area (Area 7) and gains
for CG in 1 or 2 areas that are hard to explain in terms of
VERP alone

22. Conclusions and reflections
• Process
– Teething problems
• Time
• Concerns about video recording
• Methods
– Randomly allocating SWs to VERP unexpected
problems
– Were the vignettes the best method to pick up
changes through VERP?
• VERP Learning
– Very useful but from the micro to change of self