A Tool to measure Parenting Self Efficacy
This website presents the findings from a series of studies conducted to develop and test a Tool to Measure Parenting Self-Efficacy (TOPSE) in practice. Parenting programmes of many types, based on varying philosophies and practices have been set up in different parts of the world to support and enable parents in their role. In the UK a range of parenting programmes are offered, which are based on skill acquisition, strengthening relationships, behaviour management and parent education and support. Although programmes may differ in the way they are delivered, the overarching aim is to help parents understand the effects of their behaviour on their children and to feel empowered and confident in their parenting roles. In so doing they not only provide support to parents but also enable children to reach their potential.
To address the need for rigorous evaluation of parenting programmes, TOPSE has been developed as a tool, which is sensitive to parenting in the UK (Kendall and Bloomfield 2005), but has also been shown to be effective in other cultures. The tool was originally developed in response to public health nurses (health visitors) in England, who identified the need for a reliable and valid instrument with which to assess the outcomes of their parenting work. With this in mind, we developed TOPSE through focus group work with parents and parenting programme facilitators to explore the range of challenges and difficulties faced by parents of children under the age of six years and parents’ perceived ability to manage their children, based on their own views and experiences (Bloomfield, Kendall et al. 2005). The tool was tested for validity through consultation with a panel of experts in the fields of self-efficacy and parenting and estimates of reliability were obtained through pilot testing (Kendall and Bloomfield 2005).
TOPSE is supported by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex (ARC KSS) within its Starting Well: Children’s Mental Health theme. (https://arc-kss.nihr.ac.uk/