8:22am Wednesday 14th February 2007
By Steve Sowden
YOUNG mothers, expecting their first baby and who could benefit from a high level of support and home visiting, are to benefit from a new scheme offering intensive support from community midwifes and health visitors.
It is all part of a national initiative called a 'Parent Support Project'. Somerset County Council and Somerset Primary Care Trust are just one of ten successful health and social care districts to be chosen to trial the scheme and the only area in the South West to successfully obtain project funding.
Evidence from the USA shows pregnancy and the first two years of a child's life are vital to their development, life chances and future achievements. If intensive support is provided from health and social care professionals to first time mothers, significant benefits can be derived for mother, baby and any future children.
The scheme is voluntary, but will particularly focus on the most vulnerable in the community, including teenage mothers, mums-to-be who have experienced mental ill health or mothers who find it difficult to access services.
This health-led scheme is an important collaboration between the NHS and Somerset County Council and complements existing schemes, such as Sure Start Programmes and Children's Centres, which aim to reduce the gap between the health and life chances of the wealthiest and poorest in the county.
The funding will pay for four health practitioners trained in either midwifery or health visiting. Each practitioner is expected to have an annual caseload of some 25 new mothers.
Somerset PCT's director of provider services, Judith Brown, said: "Pregnancy and the first two years are vital for a child's development and for their future, life chances and achievements.
"The birth of a first child provides a unique opportunity for support and advice to be provided for parents at a time when they can be most receptive this type of input.
"This new scheme will benefit not only the individual children but also their families and local community.
"Midwifery and health visiting services are ideally placed to identify children and families who can most benefit from this service and provide intensive home support that should make all the difference."
David Taylor, director of children's services with Somerset County Council, said: "We are very pleased to be a co-sponsor of this initiative and although voluntary we hope mothers and families will take advantage of the offer of support.
"We hope to see it demonstrate that intensive support can break the cycle of disadvantage and improve life chances."
Health practitioners working with the scheme will be given additional training, tools, materials and supervision to help them deliver the programme to families.
The scheme will be independently evaluated and the short-term impact of its intensive home visiting service appraised for its impact upon families.
© Copyright 2001-2010 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.thisisthewestcountry.co.uk