eprintid: 10205366 rev_number: 11 eprint_status: archive userid: 699 dir: disk0/10/20/53/66 datestamp: 2025-02-28 14:02:24 lastmod: 2025-02-28 14:02:24 status_changed: 2025-02-28 14:02:24 type: article metadata_visibility: show sword_depositor: 699 creators_name: Katangwe-Chigamba, Thando creators_name: Murdoch, Jamie creators_name: Irvine, Karen creators_name: Redfern, Sheila creators_name: Midgley, Nick title: A qualitative evaluation of the reflective fostering programme - examining foster and kinship carers' experiences, practical application, and perceived impact ispublished: inpress divisions: UCL divisions: B02 divisions: C07 divisions: D05 divisions: F66 keywords: Mentalization, foster carer, reflective functioning, self-regulation and self-mentalizing note: © The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). abstract: BACKGROUND: Mentalization is the ability to think about and interpret behaviours of both self and others in terms of thoughts and feelings. Caregiver's capacity to mentalize can enhance the quality of parent-child relationships. The UK Reflective Fostering Programme (RFP) has been developed to enhance foster and kinship carers' self-regulation and self-mentalizing. AIM: To understand carers' experiences, practical application, and perceived impact of the RFP. METHODS: A qualitative evaluation of the RFP using in depth interviews with twenty-four carers. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. RESULTS: Three key themes were identified: (1) 'Me time' - carer's reflections on the programme and what makes it work, highlights sharing of challenging experiences as important for practising mentalizing. (2) 'Stopping and thinking in the moment' - carer's understanding of programme concepts explores carer's conceptualizations of mentalization, revealing some male carers described challenges regarding sharing personal experiences in a group and the practical application of mentalization. (3) Practical application and perceived impact of the programme suggests successful enactment of learning from the programme, resulting in enhanced capacity to cope with stress, prevention of outbursts and better communication with children in their care. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest the programme can successfully facilitate carer's use of self-mentalizing, leading to greater self-regulation and capacity to support children in their care. Future research should explore experiences of male and kinship carers to inform tailoring. date: 2025-02-19 date_type: published publisher: SAGE Publications official_url: https://doi.org/10.1177/13591045251321032 oa_status: green full_text_type: pub language: eng primo: open primo_central: open_green verified: verified_manual elements_id: 2363108 doi: 10.1177/13591045251321032 medium: Print-Electronic lyricists_name: Midgley, Nicholas lyricists_id: NJMID90 actors_name: Midgley, Nicholas actors_id: NJMID90 actors_role: owner full_text_status: public publication: Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry pagerange: 13591045251321032 event_location: England citation: Katangwe-Chigamba, Thando; Murdoch, Jamie; Irvine, Karen; Redfern, Sheila; Midgley, Nick; (2025) A qualitative evaluation of the reflective fostering programme - examining foster and kinship carers' experiences, practical application, and perceived impact. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry p. 13591045251321032. 10.1177/13591045251321032 <https://doi.org/10.1177/13591045251321032>. (In press). Green open access document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10205366/8/Midgley_A%20qualitative%20evaluation%20of%20the%20reflective%20fostering%20programme%20-%20examining%20foster%20and%20kinship%20carers%27%20experiences%2C%20practical%20application%2C%20and%20perceived%20impact_AOP.pdf