Examining the Circles of Adults process for Children Looked After: the role of self-efficacy and empathy in staff behaviour change

The Circles of Adults (CoA) group problem solving process has been
used by educational psychologists (EPs) when supporting vulnerable educational placements, but its effects upon staff or student
outcomes have not been explored. CoAs were used in the current
research with staff supporting Children Looked After (CLA) in secondary schools. A quasi-experimental explanatory, sequential,
mixed-methods design investigated changes in participant causal
attributions, perceived self-efficacy, and perceived implementation
of subsequent actions. Participation in the CoA had no significant
effects upon causal attributions or self-efficacy; however, staff perceived greater self-efficacy and success in implementing actions
following the CoA. They valued the process, reporting enhanced
group cohesion and task focus. Insights and empathy were deepened regarding the focus student, as were awareness of group
processes and reflection. Threats in small-scale research are considered and a possible mechanism for the CoA’s effect as
a supervisory approach is proposed