What do parents, professionals and policy colleagues want from a universal assessment of child development in the early years? A qualitative study in England

Joanna L Lysons; Rocio Mendez Pineda; Maria Raisa Jessica Aquino; Hannah Cann; Pasco Fearon; Sally Kendall; Jennifer Kirman; Jenny Woodman

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091080

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What do parents, professionals and policy colleagues want from a universal assessment of child development in the early years? A qualitative study in England

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

What do parents, professionals and policy colleagues want from a universal assessment of child development in the early years? A qualitative study in England

Joanna L Lysons, Rocio Mendez Pineda, Maria Raisa Jessica Aquino, Hannah Cann, Pasco Fearon, Sally Kendall, Jennifer Kirman and Jenny Woodman

BMJ open, Vol.14(12), e091080

2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091080

PMID: 39653578

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Abstract

Adult

Attitude of Health Personnel

Child Development

Child Health Services

Child, Preschool

England

Female

Focus Groups

Health Policy

Humans

Male

Parents

Qualitative Research

Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective: Every child in England should be offered a health and development review at age 2–2½ years by the health visiting service, part of which includes an assessment of child development. The Department of Health and Social Care mandates the use of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) at this review as a tool to collect population-level data on children’s early development for monitoring of trends and disparities. This tool also forms part of the practitioner’s assessment of the child’s early development. To inform policy and practice, the present study gathered the views and experiences of parents and health visiting professionals on key priorities for, and barriers to, a universal assessment of early child development at age 2–2½ years. Design, setting, participants: We held 15 focus groups with 29 parents, 24 health visitors and nursery nurses, five service managers and five policy colleagues in England. Participants were asked to reflect on their experiences of, and priorities for, measuring child development at the 2–2½ year universal review. Analysis: We analysed data using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Results: We identified two overarching themes in the data. The first theme, ‘just a part of the puzzle’: a useful tool in a holistic review, reflected a consistent priority—across all focus groups—for a measure of child development that was well embedded in the wider review, that facilitated conversations about the child and family system and allowed negotiation of parent and professional judgement of the child’s development and had a clear stated purpose. The second theme, ‘they need to know why they’re doing it: a need for clarification’ reflected the need for a clear purpose for, and less variable delivery of, the tool, including a need for clarification on its intended purpose to provide population-level data. Conclusions: Parents and practitioners wanted a tool that facilitated a holistic conversation about development, well-being and health across the family system, with direct observation of the child by the professional. Used skilfully, the tool can constitute an intervention in itself, as it helps scaffold a conversation about how parents can support their child’s optimal growth and development. Consideration should be given to the experience of and support available to the practitioner using the tool within the health and developmental review.

Details

Title: What do parents, professionals and policy colleagues want from a universal assessment of child development in the early years? A qualitative study in England
Authors/Creators: Joanna L Lysons - Edwards (United Kingdom)
Rocio Mendez Pineda
Maria Raisa Jessica Aquino - Newcastle University
Hannah Cann - University College London
Pasco Fearon - University of Cambridge
Sally Kendall - University of Kent
Jennifer Kirman - Oxford Brookes University
Jenny Woodman - University College London
Publication Details: BMJ open, Vol.14(12), e091080
Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.
Number of pages: 11
Grant note: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme: PR- PRU- 1217- 21301 Policy Research UnitNational Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria (NENC): NIHR200173 NIHR Local Authority Short Placement AwardNIHR Pre- doctoral Fellowship Award: NIHR302838, NIHR302389 National Institutes of Health Research (NIHR): NIHR302389, NIHR302838
This work was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme through the Child and Family Policy Research Unit (PR- PRU- 1217- 21301). MRJA was part- funded by the Policy Research Unit and part- funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria (NENC) (NIHR200173). HC's time was supported by an NIHR Local Authority Short Placement Award and NIHR Pre- doctoral Fellowship Award (NIHR302838 PLAF; NIHR302389 LA SPARC). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the UK Department of Health and Social Care.
Identifiers: 991005722665107891
Murdoch Affiliation: Ngangk Yira Institute for Change
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Citation topics: 6 Social Sciences; 6.11 Education & Educational Research; 6.11.2787 Qualitative Inquiry
Web Of Science research areas: Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary
ESI research areas: Clinical Medicine