“The MTFCE programme [...] is acquiring a solid body of knowledge and expertise about the considerable benefits and challenges of setting up an evidence based multi-agency programme for looked after young people in England.” – MTFCE National Team
Internal Evaulation
All of the MTFCE teams are expected to collect data on admission and at discharge for all children and young people placed in the programme and the National Team is collating and analysing this data. Much of it is included in the yearly Project Reports.
The data provides the National Team and individual teams with general information regarding the status of children entering and leaving MTFCE. This includes information on demographics, previous placements, the frequency and nature of contact with the birth family, the type and severity of high risk behaviours exhibited by the young people, the educational attendance and attainment of young people and criminal offences committed by the young people. It is accepted that this data is not as robust or reliable as a "gold standard" RCT. However, it generates valuable information about the children and young people accessing MTFC across all of the age ranges including providing some promising information about improved outcomes.
The MTFC internal evaluation aims to answer four key questions: whether the right children are accessing the MTFC programme, what the outcomes are for the children, what foster carers can tell us about MTFC, and what the costs of the MTFC programmes are.
Are the right children accessing the MTFC programme?
MTFC is a programme for children with complex needs who are at risk of placement disruption. The internal evaluation collects data on placement history, static and dynamic risk factors, emotional health and wellbeing, education and developmental factors (MTFC-P and MTFC-C).
What are the outcomes for children leaving the MTFC programmes?
The aim for the MTFC programmes is to replicate the outcomes from the randomised controlled trials for the MTFC model. The internal evaluation collects data on subsequent placements, child behaviours, changes to dynamic risk factors, emotional health and wellbeing, education and involvement in leisure activities (MTFC-A).
What can Foster Carers tell us about MTFC?
The MTFC model places foster carers as members of the treatment team and their views are helpful to us in shaping wider practice. The internal evaluation collects information on their views of the MTFC training, support, working with a clinical team and using the MTFC model techniques.
Research and Foster Carers in MTFC-C and P
A separate research project is looking at foster carers’ sense of competence, their parenting style, bond with their own parents and levels of stress. This piece of work is ongoing and findings will be presented o this website and in the annual Project Report.
Research and Birth Family Therapists in the MTFC Programmes
A student studying for a MSc in Systemic Family Therapy at King's College, London is conducting a small scale research project into the role of Birth Family Therapists within the MTFC model. This study will include clinicians who are systemically trained and clinicians who have other mental health qualifications. The study aims to compare the experiences of clinicians with different professional backgrounds, and to see if there are any differences or similarities in their experiences of using a manual and using an approach based on social learning theory. The researcher is currently recruiting participants from MTFC sites throughout the UK and will report back on the findings in due course.
KEEP
The KEEP project uses the evaluation tools agreed with the developers in Oregon and collects data on child behaviours, parenting styles, carer stress and carer satisfaction. Please see the annual Project Report from 2010 for some promising results.
The innovative MTFCE programme has been subject to an independent research project which was conducted by the universities of York and Manchester. In addition, the team collects data in a systematic way which is included in the yearly project reports which are posted on this web site.
Independent Evaluation
The DfE funded a research project, including a randomised control trial, that evaluated the MTFC-A pilot programme when it was running in 15 local authorities in England. This independent evaluation was conducted jointly by the universities of York and Manchester.
The study was entitled Care Placement Evaluation (CaPE) and it evaluated the impact of treatment foster care on the outcomes for young people looked after by the authorities.
The CaPE study was launched in 2004 parallel to the MTFC-A pilot programme and it concluded in July 2010. The final report has been written and has gone for peer review before being released. Information on its publication will appear on this website in due course.
Its aims were twofold; to study the impact of MTFC-A on outcomes for vulnerable young people and to develop methods of evaluation for social care interventions that could support the case for further funding for this area in the future.
CaPE was a randomised controlled trial (RCT) which aimed to compare outcomes for two randomly selected groups of young people with complex needs aged 10-16. In particular CaPE will compare outcomes for:
Young people entering Treatment Foster Care placements
Young people entering other types of placement usually available to this group of young people with complex needs
Researching the Costs of MTFC
The University of Loughborough studied the costs of MTFC and compared them with other placements for children with similar needs. Their findings can be found in their final report in the "Library" section of ths website.
What are the costs of MTFC programmes?
It is important to situate the costs of MTFC as an intensive treatment programme alongside other available programmes and placements for children. The internal evaluation collects data on costs of previous and alternative placements and costs for comparable children.
