Evaluation of a health visitor-led sleep and behaviour clinic.

Abstract

Behaviour problems in children aged 0-5 are common and distressing; given a tendency to persist, early behaviour problems also foreshadow later ill-health. Reliance tends to be placed upon the health visitors and nursery nurse to provide advice and support to those experiencing difficulties with young children. This paper describes the evaluation of a new, second tier health visitor-led sleep and behaviour clinic in one inner London borough, introduced for those whose difficulties persist despite support from agencies such as Sure Start and Newpin and initial advice from health visitors and nursery nurses. The theoretical framework underpinning the initiative is behavioural and intervention is offered to those seeking help with a relatively specific parenting difficulty. Behaviour therapy involves working in partnership with the parent(s)/client, assessing and meeting needs through dialogue and action planning while providing appropriate advice and support. The therapy is consistent with the health visitor approach. Evaluation focused upon three aspects: audit of the clinic activities, effectiveness of the intervention according to parental perception of change in the child's behaviour and client satisfaction with the service. Findings suggest that the clinic is acceptable to parents of a wide variety of social and ethnic groups and successful in improving the behaviour of young children. This small study suggests that a specialist health visitor-led clinic offering behaviour therapy within a community setting represents a feasible development that is within the scope of existing resources.