Aberlour Perinatal Befriending Support Setting Up a Perinatal
Aberlour Perinatal Befriending Support Setting Up a Perinatal Befriending Service Catherine Buchanan – Perinatal Coordinator Winnie Delaney – Service Manager
Overview § § § § Aims of Aberlour Perinatal Befriending Support Partnership working Role of the Perinatal Co-ordinators and assessment tools used for monitoring and evaluation for service users Top Ten Tips to good mental health Perinatal Volunteer Befrienders training and ongoing support Role of the befriender Setting up a Perinatal Befriender Service
Aberlour § Aberlour is the largest solely Scottish children’s charity and has been in operation since 1874. There are over 40 Services across Scotland: Residential and fostering services for young people who are looked after Residential and respite services for families where a child has a disability Early Years & Family Support Outreach Services for families Drug and alcohol recovery services - § Aberlour’s Perinatal Befriending Support service has been operational since April 2015.
Aberlour Perinatal Befriending Support Service Aims: § Improve parents’ mental health and well-being § Support positive relationships between parents and their babies § Reduce social isolation for families § Increase parents’ self-confidence by working with volunteer befrienders
Partnership working § The Perinatal service works in partnership with NHS Forth Valley services : primarily midwives, health visitors, GPs, Perinatal Mental Health Team § The service also works alongside family support services from the local authority and third sector organisations § We work with families in the Perinatal period, i. e. from conception to the baby’s first birthday, which is in keeping with NHS Forth Valley’s “Integrated Care Pathway for the Early Detection and Management of Perinatal Mental Health. ”
Role of Perinatal Co-ordinators § Review of family situation to determine whether Befriending is an appropriate intervention § Training the volunteer befrienders § Matching and supporting befrienders with families § Ongoing review and monitoring of the families being supported § Undertaking assessment of mental health and well-being of mother using the following tools: - ……. .
Role of Perinatal Co-ordinators Top 10 Tips to Good Mental Health 1. Be active – healthy body, healthy food and healthy mind 2. Nature is nurture – get outside and enjoy the sunshine 3. Try something new – take an interest in a new hobby, course or activity 4. It’s good to talk – pick up the phone 5. Believe in yourself – be proud of who you are and what you’re good at 6. Make time for yourself 7. Get your 40 winks 8. Reflect – “me time” – a good night’s sleep helps emotional wellbeing – remember something you’re proud of having achieved today 9. Don’t take on the world in a day – small steps, small targets 10. Don’t be afraid to ask for help – talking about your feelings is part of staying healthy
Role of Perinatal Co-ordinators Outcome assessment and measurement: Ø Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) Ø Maternal Social Support Index (MSSI) Ø Prenatal Attachment Inventory Ø My Baby ( Mothers Object Relations Scale – MORS) Ø General Self Efficacy Aberlour Perinatal Befriending Support Perinatal Outcomes Booklet Measuring the progress you make
Role of Perinatal Co-ordinators I would like to try ………. Going for a walk Shopping Having a nap Having a bath Cooking Baking Paper craft activities Adult colouring books Card making Making a photo book Learning how to knit Making a Treasure Basket Something else…… Doing some gardening Going to the gym Going to the library Going to a local group Ante-natal Infant Massage Post-natal Infant Massage Cycling Swimming Planning for a special event Play@home Going for a coffee Going for lunch
Where do befrienders come from ? Retired midwives who still wish to use their skills to help families Stay at home mothers who are looking to help other people Psychology students looking for work experience enhance their future career Supermarket workers who wish to do something different in their careers. Early Years Workers who want to support families at the early stages of their babies’ lives. Social Workers who wish to use their skills in a different way to help others, Mothers who have experienced perinatal mental ill-health and now want to help others
Befrienders Training 7 x 3 hours sessions. Agenda includes: § Risk factors & conditions associated with Perinatal Mental Illness § Getting it Right For Every Child. Protection of children, young people & vulnerable people § Domestic Abuse and its potential impact on well-being § Attachment Theory, its origins and how to promote secure attachments § Children’s brain Development § Key role of volunteer befriender § Listening skills § Aberlour Induction
Befrienders Continued support § 1: 1 interview after attending training § Continuous monitoring after each Befriending session § 8 weekly 1: 1 social care supervision § 3 monthly group supervision § Additional training e. g. Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), Paediatric First Aid, Babies in Mind
Role of the Befriender § Home visits offering emotional and practical support § Supporting parents to access local services e. g. health appointments, shops, parks etc. § § Reduce social isolation Use of listening skills: not to give advice My befriender really helped me and all she did was listen. Its amazing how speaking aloud to someone can help sort things that are so muddled
Setting up a Perinatal Befriending Service § Communicate with local partners, in particular NHS Perinatal Mental Health Team § Plan training for Perinatal Coordinators § Recruitment of the volunteer befrienders § Delivery of training to volunteer befrienders § Promote the Service
“It made my family life easier. There is better communication between me and my husband. There is less stress which gave me confidence to be a mum and a person again.
Sally & Jack’s journey with Aberlour
Before having my baby …… I was quite easy going, quite confident I was “Mrs Never In”… always on the go, always out having fun, enjoying life
After having my baby …… After previously suffered a miscarriage and then having a rough pregnancy…. . It was relief having Having a baby him and watching how ill my dad was …… put me into a downward spiral and into depression The first 9 weeks were fine, but when my husband went back off shore reality hit.
Health Visitor suggested I receive help from Aberlour Perinatal Befriending Support …… I didn’t want to speak to anybody…… so this was never going to work My husband was sceptical at first …. But because he was worried about me and Jack so he thought this might be a good idea.
Change of heart …. I’ll give it a try as I want to be a good mum I was feeling guilty about the knock on effect on Jack. Was I being a good mother? This Service might help get me out of the house.
First steps…. but I had to have some control Angie was fantastic. There was no pressure. She made me feel I was in control of the situation which was important to me as I suffered anxiety and panic attacks.
First outing with my befriender, Jeena My first visit to a Going out meant I supermarket during didn’t have the day in 3 to ortalk 4 to Jeena months…. . It was a big step for me I reflected my first My husband on would outing withstock Jeenathe. . previously and felt quite goodgoing cupboards before about being able to go to work off-shore. out during the day.
We conquered Tesco …. . So what next? I really wanted to go to a Messy Play class with Jack I got to know other people and it is not so scary. I have a routine now and Jeena helped me get that.
What difference did Aberlour Perinatal Befriending make ? My husband could do his work off shore without thinking … have they got enough food in the house ? He is really proud of me. He thinks what Aberlour do is excellent.
What difference did Aberlour Perinatal Befriending make ? I don’t know where me or Jack would have ended up. I don’t think I would be as good as I am now. The change from me being someone who sat in the house …. . To someone who is trying to help other people
That is not the end of Sally’s journey with Aberlour …. . I am now a trained Perinatal Befriender. I have also encouraged 2 friends to become befrienders
Sally is now supporting a mum with Perinatal Mental Illness …… Welcome to Perinatal Mental Health Training … my name is Catherine
From staying at home, avoiding speaking to other people ……
Any questions?
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