๐๐ก๐ย ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ's Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood has announced next steps in its project to bring an innovative observational health visiting tool โ the ๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ (๐๐๐๐) โ to the UK. This follows the publication of a highly positive evaluation of phase two trials, which recommends it is commissioned for use across the country.
The tool is used by health visitors within routine checks to promote infant wellbeing focusing on a babyโs social behaviours such as eye contact, facial expression, vocalisation and activity levels to help practitioners and families better understand the ways babies express their feelings. It can also be used to recognise early signs of psychological distress, enabling specialist support to be accessed as soon as it is needed.
The Princess first saw the tool in use when she met health visitors in Denmark in February 2022, and the Centre has been working with the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) ever since to bring the benefits of the approach to families in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Following the overwhelmingly positive results of phase one, the Centre funded a second phase of the study across eight sites in the UK to explore the impact of training health visitors in the ADBB and its modified version (m-ADBB).
The evaluation, undertaken by the iHV in collaboration with the University of Oxford, found that :
โข ADBB training addresses a clear gap in health visiting practice by strengthening understanding of infant social withdrawal and increasing practitioner confidence in observing and interpreting babiesโ behaviour.
โข Health visitors reported feeling better equipped to articulate the babyโs perspective. This enhanced ability to โgive the baby a voiceโ.
โข The evaluation also identified measurable changes in practice at the 6โ8-week postnatal review. The proportion of babies identified with concerns increased from 7% to 12%.
โข Referrals to specialist services reduced, suggesting that ADBB supports earlier identification of emerging needs and enables more proportionate responses within universal services.
โข Parents described the 6โ8-week review as reassuring, supportive and confidence-building. They particularly valued warm, non-judgemental communication, a clear explanation of their babyโs behaviour and cues, feeling listened to, and receiving emotional support and validation.
โข When introduced clearly, ADBB-informed observation was experienced as collaborative and empowering.
To support local authorities to take up the use of the tool, the Centre for Early Childhood will fund the iHV :
โข ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ as well as to develop new resources, tailored to a UK audience.
โข In line with a key recommendation from the evaluation, the Centre will also fund iHV to create a new ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐, for the next three years, to support practitioners in the continued use and embedding of the tool.
โข This will ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฒย ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐ย ๐ข๐ง ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ helping to ensure practitioners are supported to safely and effectively embed the approach in routine care.
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