From holding the unborn baby in mind to compassionate collaboration: A reflexive thematic analysis of educational psychologist-led formulation supporting social workers, parents and unborn babies within pre-birth safeguarding

Jones, Samantha 2026. From holding the unborn baby in mind to compassionate collaboration: A reflexive thematic analysis of educational psychologist-led formulation supporting social workers, parents and unborn babies within pre-birth safeguarding. DEdPsy Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Unborn babies currently form an increasing proportion of child protection cases in Wales. The first 1000 days and Adverse Childhood Experiences literatures emphasise how prenatal and early life experiences shape lifelong development, yet unborn babies remain under-represented in safeguarding research. Pre-birth safeguarding is complicated by predictive risk assessment, legal ambiguity about non-personhood, and the emotional and ethical tensions this raises for practitioners. Although Educational Psychologists (EPs) possess expertise in attachment, formulation, child development and systemic thinking, little is known about how they contribute within pre-birth safeguarding. This study therefore explored EPs’ experiences of facilitating EP-led formulation with pre-birth social workers (SWs), aiming to contribute to the evidence base and inform future practice. Four EPs from a Welsh local authority who conducted collaborative formulation with pre-birth SW teams, engaged in semi-structured interviews. The data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, yielding six themes: co-producing multiagency meaning-making; building shared psychological capability; using structure to hold complexity and emotion; keeping the unborn baby and parents psychologically present; pacing support to make change achievable; and shifting language from blame to understanding. Findings indicate that EP-led formulation supports reflective multiagency practice by enhancing psychological understanding, containing emotional complexity, and foregrounding the relational needs of unborn babies and parents. Implications for EP professional practice are discussed. The study provides an original and valid argument that EP-led formulation in pre-birth safeguarding is both appropriate and necessary.

Item Type:	Thesis (DEdPsy)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Psychology
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	29 July 2026
Last Modified:	30 Jul 2026 14:50
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/188602

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