Circle of Security (Group)
Circle of Security (COS) was developed to increase attachment security among socially disadvantaged children between the ages of one and five.
It is delivered by masters-qualified (or higher) psychologists to groups of six parents who attend 20 90-minute group sessions. The sessions make use of an individualised treatment plan developed for each parent-child dyad on the basis of their interaction during Ainsworth’s Strange Situation (or the MacArthur Preschool Strange Situation) and the mother’s responses to the Circle of Security Interview (COSI). These assessments are used to identify a ‘linchpin’ issue (ie a set of problematic attachment behaviours), and strategies are developed to help parents reflect on their behaviours through the use of video-feedback guidance used in the 20 group sessions.
EIF Programme Assessment
Child outcomes
This programme can affect outcomes for children in Active and healthy, physical and mental wellbeing.
According to the best available evidence for this programme's impact, it can achieve the following positive outcomes for children:
Supporting children's mental health and wellbeing
Increased attachment security
based on study 1
This programme also has evidence of supporting positive outcomes for couples, parents or families that may be relevant to a commissioning decision. Please see About the evidence for more detail.
Who is it for?
The best available evidence for this programme relates to the following age-groups:
Toddlers Preschool
How is it delivered?
The best available evidence for this programme relates to implementation through these delivery models:
- Group
Where is it delivered?
The best available evidence for this programme relates to its implementation in these settings:
- Children's centre or early-years setting
- In-patient health setting
- Out-patient health setting
How is it targeted?
The best available evidence for this programme relates to its implementation as:
- Targeted selective
Where has it been implemented?
- Australia
- Canada
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Romania
- United States
Ireland provision
Ireland evaluation
About the programme
What happens during the delivery?
How is it delivered?
- Circle of Security (Group) is delivered by a mental health professional (QCF-7/8) to groups of six families.
- Circle of Security (Group) is delivered over 20 sessions, of 1.5 hours' duration each.
What happens during the intervention?
- The sessions make use of an individualised treatment plan developed for each parent-child dyad on the basis of their interaction during Ainsworth’s Strange Situation (or the MacArthur Preschool Strange Situation) and the mother’s responses to the Circle of Security Interview (COSI).
- These assessments are used to identify a ‘linchpin’ issue (ie a set of problematic attachment behaviours), and strategies are developed to help parents reflect on their behaviours through the use of video-feedback guidance used in the 20 group sessions.
- The first two sessions provide parents with an overview of attachment theory and children’s basic attachment and exploration needs.
- The following 18 sessions are devoted to each of the six parent/child dyads, with each caregiver being the focus of three sessions. These sessions make use of videotaped segments of each parent interacting individually with their child, which are used to facilitate dialogue between the parents.
What are the implementation requirements?
Who can deliver it?
- The practitioner who delivers this programme is a mental-health professional with NFQ-9/10 level qualifications.
What are the training requirements?
- The practitioner has 70 hours of programme training. Booster training of practitioners is not required.
How are the practitioners supervised?
- It is recommended that practitioners are supervised by one programme developer supervisor (qualified to NFQ-9/10 level).
What are the systems for maintaining fidelity?
- Training manual
- Other printed material
- Face-to-face training
- Supervision
- Accreditation or certification process
Is there a licensing requirement?
There is no licence required to run this programme.
How does it work? (Theory of Change)
How does it work?
- Circle of Security (Group) is based on the assumption that the quality of the attachment relationship between caregiver and child in the first years of life is central to a child’s later functioning.
- Positive and sensitive parent/child interactions increase the likelihood of a secure parent/infant attachment relationship.
- Parents experiencing multiple hardships and/or an insecure attachment relationship in their own childhood are less likely to develop positive representations of their infant, reducing their ability to develop a secure attachment relationship.
- Parents are supported to form positive representations of their infant and provide an appropriately nurturing and sensitive caregiving environment.
- In the short term, parents develop positive representations of their infant, their sensitivity increases and the infant is more likely to develop a secure attachment.
- In the longer term, children will develop positive expectations of themselves and others, demonstrate improved mental health and be at a reduced risk of child maltreatment.
Intended outcomes
- Active and healthy, physical and mental wellbeing
- Safe and protected from harm
Contact details
Jenny Peters
The Centre
jenny.peters@thecentrelondon.com
www.thecentrelondon.com
About the evidence
Circle of Security’s most rigorous evidence comes from a pre-post study, which was conducted in the USA.
Study 1
| Citation: | Hoffman et al (2006) |
| Design: | Pre-post |
| Country: | United States |
| Sample: | 75 Head Start mothers with a preschool-aged child |
| Timing: | Post-test |
| Child outcomes: |
|
| Other outcomes: | |
| Study rating: | 2 |
Hoffman, K.T., Marvin, R.W., Cooper, G., & Powell, B. (2006). Changing toddlers’ and preschoolers’ attachment classifications: The Circle of Security Intervention. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 1017-1029.
Available at
http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/ccp/74/6/1017/
Study design and sample
The first study is a pre-post study.
The study was a pre-post only study. Outcomes were assessed before the intervention was delivered and 10 days after the 20-week intervention was delivered. This study was conducted in the US, with a sample of mother and preschool child (average age 32 months) dyads participating in either a Head Start or Early Head Start programme in the US.
Measures
Child attachment was measured using the Ainsworth Strange Situation (expert observation of behaviour) for children younger than 24 months of age. For children between 24 and 60 months, child attachment was measured using the MacArthur Preschool Strange Situation (expert observation of behaviour)
Findings
This study identified statistically significant positive impact on one child outcome.
This includes:
- Increased attachment security