The Meaning of The Child Assessment Process

Chapter 6 explores how the MotC assessment operates. The MotC assesses the ongoing ‘conversation’ of the parent-child relationship, where parent and child interpret and re-interpret the actions and communication of each other, through a conversation between an interviewer and parent. Seeing both as a dialogue keeps the focus on interaction, rather than a means of extracting information from an individual. The MotC uses a semi-structured interview to activate the attachment and caregiving system, by introducing the potential for conflict, giving the interviewer a clear structure, and tackling challenging aspects of the parent-child relationship. Whilst the process can be used to evaluate other forms of parental discourse, these key features must be held in mind when thinking about what such evaluation might mean. Interviewing requires the interviewer to maintain a delicate balance between making the encounter a genuine conversation and holding to the interview structure. Coding is a standardised method of analysis. Standardisation is not a means of producing the truth or certainty, but ensuring fidelity to the theory and method, developing a common language, and evaluating competing interpretations. The classification is a lens to make sense of what is known about a parent-child relationship, to aid intervention and decision making.