The government have today published a new review to improve babies' and children's healthy development. Parents 1st UK CEO Celia, shares her response to some of the key actions identified in this review...
We know that quality peer support has a huge impact on reducing stress during pregnancy, during labour and birth and the early months of parenting. Peer support has so much to offer, but amazing initiatives of great value to parents are still struggling to survive. We have seen two high quality perinatal peer support initiatives in deprived areas of the country having to close due to lack of funding over the past few months – despite demonstrating pioneering support for families during the pandemic and excellent outcomes for disadvantaged families over several years. The value of quality peer support during the 1001 critical days in terms of reducing stress and improving the mental health of parents is undervalued and needs proper investment.
Many disadvantaged parents are wary of professionals. They fear being judged or having their children taken away. Quality peer support initiatives have a huge contribution to make. They are part of the community and are important intermediaries. By building relationships with professionals, peer supporters help parents overcome this mistrust. They nurture the confidence of parents to access and benefit from the services available to them and to communicate with professionals involved in their care.
Peer support enables families to get involved with shaping and designing the support delivered in family hubs. It is important to be aware that it can be a huge step for some families to walk into a local centre. Peer supporters can provide the vital personal support that nurtures their confidence and helps them to take the first step. This often takes time and persistence – some families may prefer a different type of support.
Accessible information is important but it needs to be shared, reflected on and used in order to be beneficial to babies and children. We train peer supporters to share appropriate information as part of a trusting parent-to-parent relationship in a timely and useful way that is relevant to individual lives. This makes it meaningful and enables parents to set goals that are realistic and achievable.
On a personal note, as CEO of Parents 1st UK I had to resign from the NHS and create an independent social enterprise in order to develop my health visitor community development role. I meet some inspired and committed health visitors on a regular basis who see the immense value of developing early years peer support initiatives – but they are constrained and frustrated in being unable to embrace and develop a community development. It is time for change.