Summary: | The approach taken by nurture groups emphasises that difficult and often negative early experiences can be modified through alternative sources other than parents. For such children the original literature states that their difficulties are as a result of an interaction between the child and their environment, with the home emphasised. Despite previous research indicating the positive impact parental involvement can have on both parents and children, levels of parental involvement in nurture groups varies widely. Research in this area has been identified as being sparse and requiring further investigation. The purpose of this research was to contribute to the literature on parental involvement in nurture groups. This exploratory study provides an insight into the perceptions of parents and nurture group staff regarding staff-parent relationships and parental involvement in nurture groups. A constructivist paradigm was adopted, to explore the subjective realities of participants. In-depth qualitative data was collected from semi structured interviews with parents (n = 4) and staff (n = 4) involved in nurture groups. Inductive thematic analysis was applied to draw out themes from the data. Findings highlight different experiences of parents and staff, but also common themes of relationships, communication and sharing practice.
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