An exploratory study of parent experiences on the circle of security – parenting (COS-P) programme

Introduction Despite global uptake of the ‘Circle of Security Parenting Programme’ (COS-P), limited research on its effectiveness has been carried out to date and implementation now exceeds its evidence-base. Dissemination of COS-P has been ongoing in Ireland since the autumn of 2016 and emerging evidence suggests it to be a potentially powerful intervention tool for enhancing parent-child relationships and addressing childhood emotional and behavioural difficulties. The primary focus of the current study was to elucidate the lived experience of parents who have participated in the COS-P and to explore potential mechanisms of change. Method The method of inquiry involved a qualitative design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine parents (eight mothers and one father) within seven weeks of completing the COS-P. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for analysis. A subsidiary quantitative investigation, involving the completion of standardised psychometric questionnaires at baseline, post-intervention, and again, following a six-month interval, was included to explore the feasibility of future hypothesis testing studies. Results Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was applied and the interview data culminated in the uncovering of six themes including ‘Seeking Help and Engaging with the Programme’, ‘Learning to be Vulnerable’, ‘Learning to Manage Emotions’, ‘An Improved Parent-Child Relationship’, ‘A New Experience of Parenting’ and ‘Evaluating the Experience’. Participants appeared to have developed more sensitive and reflective parenting practices and greater emotion regulation capacities. Participants expressed their immense satisfaction with the programme as well as its potential utility for wider audiences. Conclusion In-depth examination of parental experiences revealed that COS-P appears successful in its key objectives. Parental practices and affective change following COS-P appeared to occur through several interactive processes, some of which are common to other parent training programmes. Implications for practice, policy and future research are discussed.