Building relationships with healthcare professionals during a global pandemic: Derby Community Parent Programme share some of the ways they kept community outreach going through lockdown
2020 has undoubtedly been a difficult year for us all. We’ve adapted, learnt and then adapted some more. The challenge to continue reaching and offering peer support to vulnerable mums and dads has been hard, however it’s clear that lockdown has revealed many benefits from offering virtual support.
Derby Community Parent Programme (DCPP) have generously shared with us at Parents 1st UK not only how they responded to the crisis, but also the feedback they’ve received from health care professionals in response. Maternity services have been under pressure and parents have understandably been more stressed and anxious during this time. To be able to not only keep community engagement going, but to create stronger relationships during this time is a notable achievement.
Emma and Shelley, DCPP’s coordinators, joined the team at the start of the year, just before the first COVID-19 lockdown. Previously volunteers for DCPP, they had a lot of experience to bring, including fantastic relationships with the Midwifery team at Derby City Hospital.
Prior to COVID-19, community outreach was a priority for DCPP. Volunteers would spend time each week out in the community to have open, low level, peer conversations. They would use these visits to build trusting relationships with both parents and professionals.
“The service that Derby Community Parenting Programme (DCPP) provides is nothing short of incredible. As a midwife working with women with social complexities, I regularly refer women in my caseload to DCPP, and have been working alongside them for the last 9 months.
The volunteers are often the ones who form the closest relationships with the women more than any professional involved and as a result they are the ones who they open up to and share their concerns with. This is where their training is vital as they know how to react in any given situation but also have the knowledge to escalate issues in an appropriate manner ensuring the right help and support is arranged.
DCPP aren’t just birthing partners, they are able to provide the care and support that as a midwife I am not always able to give – due to pressures within the unit. It is such a relief when they arrive on Labour Ward with a labouring woman as I know the woman will be well cared for whether I am in or out of the room. It eases the pressures on the staff as they go above and beyond for their women with providing help with physical and emotional support and personal cares for mum and baby.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, their role has been invaluable as many other services withdrew leaving women with limited support. DCPP have continued to support the women in their care throughout the pandemic ensuring these already vulnerable women aren’t in an even more difficult and frightening situation.
They have also been able to provide practical support in preparation for birth and parenthood and postnatal support when other professionals couldn’t.
Without their involvement, support and cooperation I know we would not have achieved so many positive outcomes for the women and families in our care.”
Sophie Richardson – Continuity of Care Midwife, Juno Team
When the pandemic hit, DCPP felt more than ever, that it was really important for parents to still have access to peer support. With the usual channels of engaging with parents in the community out of bounds, Emma and Shelley looked to virtual ways to recreate the community element instead.
As a midwife working with women with additional vulnerabilities I often refer to DCPP for support in pregnancy and beyond. The feedback I have had from women, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown has been so positive.
In particular I have been told how supportive and relevant they have found the DCPP online community as it is providing the opportunity for women to meet virtually, and to discuss their hopes and fears with others in the same situation at a time when the usual social opportunities are not available.
Kirsty Minns - Continuity of Care Midwife, Juno Team
One of DCPP’s achievements this year has been the creation of a Facebook community group for pregnant women. Access to the group is by referral from a health professional and their volunteers each spend 2 hours online each day to offer peer support.
Alongside offering general peer support within this group, DCPP worked with health professionals, bringing them in as guest hosts, to talk about a range of topics (i.e. labour, feeding, dentistry) and provide specialist information. Peer supporters were also on hand to help parents to process this information, giving extra support if required.
“The Bump to Baby Buddies forum has been well received by the women and it is great for them to have the opportunity to ask a midwife directly if they have a concern or query. It helps to have a mutual understanding of the problems raised and allay any myths about maternity care which can circulate as Chinese whispers.
I have enjoyed having the opportunity to hear from maternity service users in a way which is a little more anonymous, allowing them to ask what they really want to know without being face-to-face which can sometimes inhibit an open conversation. COVID has been a difficult time for everyone but hopefully the forum can continue to be a supportive environment for families”
Claire Johnson – Midwife UHDB
“I wanted to give your group some feedback following my recent work with the online community. Through hosting some guest sessions, I have come to better appreciate the worries and anxieties held by the families we care for, especially in these uncertain times. It has been great to be able to offer the opportunity to these individuals to share their concerns and ask questions in a safe, supportive and inclusive environment.
Better understanding of the needs of our service users is vital to appropriately tailoring the care we provide and through the experiences I have had with the group, I have already reflected and adapted my clinical practice to try to better address the needs of our families.
Supporting vulnerable individuals and families is essential to gaining better health outcomes and the support your group is providing is having a really positive impact. The support and guidance you are providing is hugely reassuring to these individuals and clearly is improving their engagement with both the maternity services as well as other agencies which can only be a positive thing.
I think the group is helping to break down some of the barriers there are between health care professionals and more vulnerable families.
I think you have had a positive impact in many ways including; on women's basic understanding of how the maternity services are accessed and the importance of regular attendance at appointments, all the way through to being able to support women with very complex social and mental health needs and helping them to make and prepare for the adaptations to parenthood expected of them.
My experience of the group has demonstrated a truly holistic approach to the needs of individuals, and I hope you can continue to provide such support in the future.”
Vicky Topley - Senior Clinical Midwife Labour Ward
As well as offering a Facebook group for mums, DCPP also set one up specifically for dads. Preparing for labour and birth has been especially challenging for dads as many have been unable to attend appointments, scans or even the birth itself due to hospital restrictions. Through setting up and facilitating this Facebook dads’ group, DCPP has created a space for men to support each other and share both the ups and downs.
Dads Space is an excellent way of encouraging men to talk to each other. I'm not sure if they always feel they need to ask a midwife but having a facility to open conversations or add links and information for Dads is an amazing resource.