CAre Placement Evaluation (CAPE)

ISRCTN	ISRCTN68038570
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN68038570
Secondary identifying numbers	A1

Submission date: 28/09/2012
Registration date: 25/10/2012
Last edited: 16/12/2015

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Other

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
The Department for Education and Skills is promoting a new model of treatment foster care (MTFC). This study aims to see how this new type of foster care compares with the other types of care already being used for these young people.

Who can participate?
The young people who are aged 1116 years and, in a care placement which was unstable, at risk of breakdown or not meeting their assessed needs, or at risk of custody or secure care and, who show complex or severe emotional difficulties and/or challenging behaviour.

What does the study involve?
Two groups of young people in care will be followed up over a 12 month period. One group will be placed in MTFC where they will be looked after by a specially trained MTFC foster carer. The young people will also receive support from a team of mental health and education professionals. When they are in an MTFC placement the young people follow a special programme which includes daily monitoring and a points and levels system. As they move up the levels the young people earn more privileges and when they reach the highest level they graduate from the programme. The other group of young people will receive the usual range of care placements which include normal foster care and residential care.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
We do not anticipate any risks that may adversely affect the participants as a result of taking part in the trial. Young people will be fully informed as to what their participation in the research will involve. We do not anticipate any risks to research staff. All research staff are certificated by the
Criminal Records Bureau.

Where is the study run from?
Universities of York and Manchester

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
The study started in 2005. Recruitment will ended in 2009 and the final follow-up was in 2010.

Who is funding the study?
Department for Education and Skills

Who is the main contact?
Prof. Jonathan Green
jonathan.green@manchester.ac.uk

Contact information

Prof Jonathan Green
Scientific

Royal Manchester Childrens Hospital
Jean McFarlane Building
Oxford Road
Manchester
Manchester
M13 9PL
United Kingdom

Phone	+44 (0)161 306 7941
Email	jonathan.green@manchester.ac.uk

Study information

Study design	Two-arm multiple-centre single (assessor) blinded randomised controlled trial embedded in a quasi-experimental observational study
Primary study design	Interventional
Secondary study design	Randomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)	Other
Study type	Quality of life
Participant information sheet	Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Scientific title	Evaluation of treatment foster care in England
Study acronym	CAPE
Study objectives	Placement in Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) will result in enhanced global functioning for the most troubled young people in care in England.
Ethics approval(s)	University of York, IRISS Ethics Committee, 01/06/2005, ref: PKLG
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	Evaluation of Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care in England for Adolescents
Intervention	MTFC represents an enhancement of traditional foster care in two ways. 1. Specialist foster parents will receive training and ongoing supervision in an intensive social learning approach 2. The provision of multidisciplinary team input including psychiatry and psychology The treatment as usual (TAU) intervention will be heterogeneous; consisting of existing foster care, residential care, or other placements.
Intervention type	Behavioural
Primary outcome measure	Two summative measures of mental health and social and physical functioning: 1. The standard Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA) (Gowers, Harrington, Whitton, et al., 1999) 2. Childrens Global Assessment Scale (CGAS, (Shaffer, Gould and Brasic, 1983)
Secondary outcome measures	Participation in education or training and involvement in offending at follow-up
Overall study start date	01/09/2005
Completion date	30/08/2010

Eligibility

Participant type(s)	Patient
Age group	Child
Lower age limit	11 Years
Upper age limit	16 Years
Sex	Both
Target number of participants	Total sample size of 220 (75 MTFC, 145 TAU), of which 130 (50, 80) will be in the RCT and 90 (25,65) will be in the case control study.
Key inclusion criteria	Eligibility for the trial mirrors the eligibility criteria set out by the National Implementation Team for inclusion in the MTFC programme. Young people are eligible for MTFC if they are: 1. Age 1116 years and 2. In a placement which was unstable, at risk of breakdown or not meeting their assessed needs, or at risk of custody or secure care 3. Showing complex or severe emotional difficulties and/or challenging behaviour
Key exclusion criteria	Young people diagnosed with a moderate or severe learning difficulty might not be considered suitable for the MTFC programme and therefore the trial, as it is necessary for those entering MTFC to understand and work within the programmes points and levels system.
Date of first enrolment	01/09/2005
Date of final enrolment	30/08/2010

Locations

Countries of recruitment

England
United Kingdom

Study participating centre

Royal Manchester Childrens Hospital

Manchester
M13 9PL
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

University of Manchester (UK)
University/education

Oxford Road
Manchester
Manchester
M13 9PL
England
United Kingdom

Website	http://www.manchester.ac.uk/
"ROR"	https://ror.org/027m9bs27

Funders

Funder type

Government

Department for Education and Skills (UK)

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No
IPD sharing plan summary	Not provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination plan	Not provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type	Details	Date created	Date added	Peer reviewed?	Patient-facing?
Results article	results	01/03/2014		Yes	No
Results article	results	01/08/2016		Yes	No