Background: Circle of Security - Parenting (COS-P) is a parenting support program that´s has establish all over the world. COS-P is an intervention program that is based on the attachment theory and focuses on strengthening the connection between parent and child.   Aim: The aim of this study is to examine leaders’ experiences of the parenting support program, Circle of Security in a medium-sized municipality in Sweden. Method: A descriptive qualitative study was performed. A Semi-structured interview were conducted by an independent interviewer. Intensity sampling was used as a selection method. There were five participants in total, three from Social services and two from the Swedish Church. A qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the collected data. Results: Two main categories are presented (1) The efficacy of Circle of Security (2) Circle of Security as a method. Under each main category there are subcategories that have emerged in the analysis process. The leaders found COS-P to be effective, easily understandable, adaptable to different client groups and emotionally challenging. The leaders considered that there were development opportunities regarding the COS-P material and had shared opinions in explaining the program's adaptability.   Conclusion: This qualitative study has shown that the leaders experiences of the parenting support program COS-P were largely positive, but there were also some development opportunities. / Bakgrund: Trygghetscirkeln (COS-P) är ett föräldraskapsstödsprogram som etablerats runt om i hela världen. Trygghetscirkeln är ett interventionsprogram som grundar sig i anknytningsteorin och fokuserar på att stärka anknytningen mellan förälder och barn.   Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka utbildade ledares uppfattningar och erfarenheter av föräldraskapsstödsprogrammet Trygghetscirkeln i en medelstor kommun i Sverige.   Metod: En deskriptiv kvalitativ studie genomfördes. Semi-strukturerad intervju genomfördes av en intervjuare. Intensity sampling användes som urvalsmetod. Det var totalt fem respondenter, tre från Socialtjänsten och två från Svenska kyrkan. En kvalitativ innehållsanalys användes för att analysera insamlade data.   Resultat: I resultatet presenteras två huvudkategorier (1) Trygghetscirkelns verkan (2) Trygghetscirkeln som metod. Under varje huvudkategori tillkommer underkategorier som framkommit i analysprocessen. I resultatet beskrevs Trygghetscirkeln av ledare som effektivt, lättförståeligt, anpassningsbar till olika klientgrupper och känslomässigt utmanande. Ledarna ansåg att det fanns utvecklingsmöjligheter gällande Trygghetscirkelns material och hade delade meningar i förklarningen av programmets anpassningsbarhet.   Slutsats: Denna kvalitativa undersökning har visat att upplevelser och erfarenheter från ledare av föräldraskapsstödsprogrammet Trygghetscirkeln var till största del positiv men det framkom även vissa utvecklingsmöjligheter.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Early Childhood development is an important phase of development, wherein the trajectory of the child’s life can potentially be determined. However, not all children experience positive outcomes, and many present with psychopathology. In particular, psychopathology in children will manifest as either externalizing behaviours or internalising behaviours. The treatment of internalising disorders becomes increasingly complex, as there isn’t always outward behaviour to give evidence to the inward difficulties. Literature amplifies the importance of the role of the parent in ensuring the well-being of the child and in working towards healthy developmental outcomes.

Introduction: Parenting programs have been identified as a valuable service provision to promote quality parent-child relationships and attachment styles. The Triple P positive parenting program and the Circle of Security parenting (COS-P) program are evidence-based interventions designed to prevent behavioral and emotional problems in children. However, there is a lack of literature on the experiences of providers delivering these programs in the Canadian context. This study aimed to investigate and characterize these experiences through a mixed-methods approach. Methods: A total of 83 providers participated in the cross-sectional portion of the study, completing readiness measures prior to program implementation. The qualitative descriptive component of the study involved a sub-group of 22 providers in semi-structured focus groups, 12 months after program implementation. Descriptive measures were analyzed using R studio V. 4.2.0, while NVIVO Version 13 was used to manage the thematic analysis of the focus groups. The mixed-methods component involved an explanatory sequential approach, which involved integrating the data via a joint display table. Results: Organizational readiness involving training, supervision, and support were crucial for program delivery. Barriers identified included a lack of support, overwhelming workload, difficulty engaging parents, and program-specific barriers, while facilitators included positive experiences with training, teamwork, confidence, virtual delivery, and managerial support. Discussion: The results suggest that organizational readiness is crucial to the successful delivery of these programs. Providers require training, supervision, and ongoing support to deliver these interventions effectively. Additionally, barriers and facilitators in the delivery of these programs were identified, which can inform future program implementation and improve outcomes. Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights for organizations and providers to effectively deliver parenting programs like Triple P and COS-P by addressing barriers and facilitators of delivery, which can consequently improve parent-child relationships and attachment styles. / Thesis / Master of Public Health (MPH) / Effective delivery of evidence-based parenting programs is essential to promoting positive health outcomes for children and families. Unfortunately, very little research has investigated the experiences of providers delivering these programs. Due to this, our study applied a mixed methods approach that involved 83 providers who completed various readiness measures prior to program implementation, and 22 providers who participated in follow-up focus groups, 12 months after program implementation. The results of our study determined that organizational readiness, which is inclusive of training, supervision, and support, is critical to successful program delivery. Furthermore, we were able to identify barriers and facilitators of program delivery, which can inform future implementation efforts and improve program quality, while promoting positive outcomes for parents and children. This study provides unique insights into the experiences of parenting program providers in Canada and can serve as a tool to inform future program implementation and delivery efforts.