Effectiveness of a skills training program for residential child care workers

Two parallel behavioral tests in role-play form were developed to investigate the effectiveness of the training Skills for Residential Care Workers in teaching skills that enable trainees to handle difficult group situations. The trainees were child care workers and students. Before and after the training took place, both trainees (N = 29) and persons from a control group (N = 26) participated in the tests. Their assignment was to direct a group meeting with four youngsters (in fact instructed actors). Video tapes were made of the participants in the tests, and scored blindly by three independent raters with the help of a rating list. The rating list appeared to be internally consistent, and the interrater reliability was high. The results show that the training is effective in teaching skills.