Why are some helpers so much more effective than others? A conversation with Professor Tom Sexton and Professor Donald Forrester

October 2018

Being interviewed by Michael Little (Research Fellow at Dartington Centre for Social Policy and former Director of Dartington Social Research Unit), Professor Sexton (Indiana University), an eminent international expert in the field of Family Psychology,  discusses his ground breaking research on the variations between counsellors and the outcomes they help people achieve. Why do different counsellors using the same approach achieve varying results? Professor Forrester (Director of CASCADE and the What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care) talks about new research by him and his team that identifies key factors implementing outcomes in child and family social work. His findings suggest that relationships are important- but not enough on their own. So what is needed to help people effectively?