Video-feedback intervention to promote positive parenting and sensitive discipline

Video-feedback intervention to promote positive parenting and sensitive discipline (VIPP-SD) is the first highly evidenced video-feedback intervention for parents/carers and was developed by world leading researchers at Leiden University in Holland.

VIPP is a way of working with families that focuses on attachment and the parent/carer-child relationship. It helps parents/carers to care for their child by building a strong relationship with them, and seeing the world through their eyes. 

The aim is to increase parent/carer sensitivity and attunement by enhancing their responses to their child and their knowledge of child development. VIPP has a solid evidence base for preventing or reducing behavioural problems in young children and has been shown to be extremely effective with a range of different populations e.g. under 5’s, adoptive parents and childcare providers. 

VIPP is recommended in the NICE Guidelines for Children’s Attachment (NICE Guideline 26) and is available for families with children aged between 6 months and 6 years old at the Tavistock and Portman.

VIPP for family placements

VIPP for family placements usually take place in the family home, with up to 7 visits taking place 2 to 4 weeks apart. Each visit lasts approximately 90 minutes. 

The practitioner films activities of the child and their parent/carer carrying out different activities together, such as playing together, reading a book, tidying up and having a meal. After filming, the parent and the practitioner watch the recording from the previous visit, and think together about what they see happening between the parent/carer and their child. 

The biggest positive for me is that it highlights how well I am doing, and that isn’t always at the forefront of my mind – I only remember the challenging behaviour. It’s a clear message that we are getting on together, and I don’t always see that. Hearing about the significance of the little signals gives me confidence in how well we are attaching.

This enables detailed observations and discussions to take place, alongside sharing knowledge of child development. This helps the parent or carer to identify their child’s signals and to see the world though their eyes, understanding them more clearly. 

The parent is also given tasks to try out between visits, such as playing together with their child and giving specific and/or increased compliments to promote positive development. 

I found it very useful, inspiring, heartening, hugely positive, I can’t think of anything negative about it. It was always supportive, insightful and very positive. So it was showing me very nicely, in a non-critical way, just through showing and suggesting other ways of doing things. It exceeded my expectations

Access VIPP for family placements

The adoption support fund provides funds to local authorities and regional adoption agencies to pay for essential therapeutic services for eligible adoptive and special guardianship order families. The Fund is designed to enable families to access the services they need. 

Where the assessment identifies that therapeutic services would be beneficial to your family, the local authority will apply to the Fund on your behalf, who will then release funding to the local authority. The local authority social worker will be expected to talk to you about who can provide the types of service that you need and which provider you would prefer. Research has shown it is best to start VIPP-FP between 3-12 months after your child has moved into your home, although it can still be highly beneficial after this time.