Denmark Incredible Years service developments

Rasmus Bruun, programme leader for the Incredible Years programmes in Denmark

Who is Rasmus Bruun?

• Programme leader for The Incredible Years programmes in Denmark

• The National Board of Social Services

• An independent subdivision of The Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration

– Head of Section in the Child & Youth Services

– An administrative and organisational position

• Educational background:

– Cand. Mag. in History and Cultural Studies from The University of Southern Denmark

Topics

1. IY in Denmark

2. Fidelity – an organisational matter

3. Future perspectives

The Danish system

• The area of social matters is widely governed through legislation made by the Danish Parliament

• The local authorities have the primary responsibility for social services.

• The number of local authorities are 98.

History

• 2005: Local experiment

• 2007-2012: National projects

• 2012-2015: National (ongoing) grant

Why using IY in Denmark?

• The drive

– Local authorities and later The National Board of Social Services

• The main argument

– To offer a social practice with a documented positive effect for children and their families in the social services

• The assumption

– IY as a well documented evidence based program will work in Denmark as it has in other international settings

• The main focus

– Organising and implementing the IY-programs in the social services delivered in the local authorities

IY programs in Denmark

IY in Denmark - status

• Organisations working with IY

– 17 local authorities

– 1 private organisation (ADHD Center)

• IY Group leaders

– Ca. 200 group leaders

– Ca. 50 are certified

• IY experts

– 2 mentors

– 3 peer coaches

– 8 peer coaches in line

• Evaluation/research in Danmark

– Contribution analysis (Rambøll Management)

– ADHD pilotstudy (Aarhus University)

Does it work?

• Effect evaluation:

– An evaluation on IY’s effect in the social services in Denmark indicates the same results as seen in larger international studies

• Implementation demonstrations:

– IY can work in a Danish organisational context

The importance of fidelity

• High fidelity is essential if the good results from the research is to reach the citizens receiving an IY-programme in the social services.

© Fixsen & Blase, 2008

Performance Assessment (Fidelity)

Coaching

Training

Selection

Systems Intervention

Facilitative Administration

Decision Support Data System

Staf

f C

ompe

tenc

e

Organization

SupportsIntended Benefits

Leadership AdaptiveTechnical

Integrated & Compensatory

ImplementationDrivers

Fidelity – an organisational matter

• It is important to give a lot of attention to the local IY-organisations

• Carolyn Webster-Stratton has developed good implementation recommendations

• Still the IY fidelity system is stronger on the components related to the group leaders deliverance of the program than the components related to the organisational level

• Local/national responsibility

Initiatives for securing local organisational support

• Organisational readiness procedure

• Written agreement with organisations

– Minimum number of group leaders

– Minimum time for group leaders

– Minimum attendance in education

– Physical settings

– Visitation to groups

– At least two groups pr. group leader

• Technical support systems (intranet, data system)

• Economic and administrative support for certification

• Support to optimizing organisational systems

• The reflexive quality process

Future perspectives

• From:

– A fragmented structure of grants and a fragmented strategy of implementation

• To:

– An ongoing grant and a long term strategy of implementation and dissemination

– Disseminate the deliverance of IY programs to a scale of social importance

Our IY-Dream

Experience

• Positive

– High percentage rate of certified group leaders

– Evaluation on IY’s effect in the social services in Denmark indicates the same results as seen in larger international studies

• Needs:

– ”National or Regional” organisation, which continuous provide educational activities plus supports and control local organisations

– Necessary to build up national/regional/local IY expert capacity

To do and keep doing

– Staff competence:• Continuously delivering training and coaching• Demand a minimum of educational activity• Extend numbers of IY experts

– Local Peer Coach model– Organisation support:

• Improve support to optimizing organisational systems• Improve organisational readiness procedure• Datasystem• Videosystem• Homepage + Intranet

– Leadership:• Workshops for leaders and administrative staff

– Performance Assessment• Quality model

Points learned

• Obtaining fidelity in the social services is an organisational matter

• Obtaining and sustaining fidelity takes a lasting investment in both staff and organisational support

Thank you for your time!