Teams that Support the Start for Life Offer 

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Start for Life Phoenix Team Pilot

A new service for eligible families.

• 🤰 Midwife,
  
• 👩‍🦰 Maternity support worker,
  
• 👩‍🦱 Health Visitor,
  
• 🤱 Infant feeding worker,
  
• 👧 Child Development Practitioner,
  
• 💚 Supporting Families - Support Worker
• 👨  Dad’s worker.

Working alongside Family Hub Practitioners, the team offer a personalised service to families, tailored to their needs and preferences.

They can provide help with a wide range of family services, such as preparation for birth and beyond, infant feeding support, emotional health and wellbeing support, and support with early learning activities and play to keep their babies development on track.

• 📱 Information and Advice - FIS provides free, confidential advice on everything from childcare and schools to parenting support and local activities. They’re usually the first point of contact for family-related information and are part of Barnsley Family Hubs

• 👩‍👦‍👦 Childcare Support - Need childcare? FIS can help you find nurseries, childminders, preschools, and after-school clubs. They also offer advice on childcare costs, which schemes you are entitled to, and how to apply for them. 

• 👫 Parenting Support -  FIS can help you to access Family Hub Parenting Programmes and support groups, to help you build confidence and handle challenges. 

• 🎨 Activities and Things to Do in Barnsley - Keep your kids engaged with information on local activities, events, and family-friendly places to visit. FIS can help you discover what’s happening in your community.

• 👩‍⚕️ Find Local Services - FIS can get you to the right service, at the right time.  They also signpost you to local mental health support and healthy living for your family.
  

Find out more

📱 Ring 0800 045 340 option 1. (Lines are open Monday to Thursday 9am - 5pm and on Fridays 9am - 4:30pm)

📧 Infofis@barnsley.gov.uk 

The Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) in Barnsley supports first-time parents under 19 through regular home visits from early pregnancy until the child's first or second birthday. Trained nurses help with attachment, relationships, and independence.

• Adopt healthier lifestyles
  
• Provide good care for your baby and toddler
  
• Plan your future

Our nurses help young parents understand pregnancy and care for themselves and their babies, offering advice on:

• 🤰 Having a healthy Pregnancy
• 👶 Planning for labour and birth
• 🧒 Child health and development
• 💐 Building positive relationships
• 🚭 Making beneficial lifestyle choices
• 🎓 Achieving personal goals like education or employment

Health visitors are specially trained nurses or midwives who support families with children under five. Their goal is to help your child have the best possible start in life. Here’s how they can help:

• 👨‍👧‍👦 Supporting Families and Children - Health visitors give advice on topics like feeding, sleep, immunisations, and parenting. They’re there to answer your questions and offer practical support, helping you feel confident in caring for your child.

• 👧 Monitoring Child Development - they track your child’s growth and development, making sure they’re hitting key milestones. Regular health checks help catch any issues early, so your child stays on track.

• 🍏 Health Education and Promotion - Health visitors offer tips on healthy eating, dental care, and safety. They also promote mental well-being and can connect you with local services and resources.

• 🤰 Supporting Maternal Health - They support your health too, from postnatal recovery to breastfeeding advice. If you’re feeling low or anxious, they can help or refer you to someone who can.

• 🏡 Home Visits -  A Health Visitor will see you before your baby is born, and then again after 10 days. You will get an appointment at 6 - 8 weeks for a review. They will see you again for your baby's 8 -12 month review and 2 - 2 1/2 years review.

• 🤗 Building Community Connections -They work with GPs, midwives, and Family Hubs to make sure you have a strong support network. They help you access the services you need to keep your family healthy and happy.

The team can also support you with:

• 🤱 breastfeeding
  
• 🍓 weaning
  
• 🚽 bed wetting
  
• 👧 child development
  
• 💔 emotional difficulties.
  

Find out more:

📱 Ring 01226 774411 Monday - Thursday: 8:45am-4:45pm and on Fridays: 8:45am-4:15pm

• 🤱 Breastfeeding Support-  Breastfeeding offers many benefits but can come with challenges. The Infant Feeding team provide personalised advice on techniques, positioning, and overcoming common issues, helping you to enjoy a comfortable breastfeeding experience.

• 🍼 Bottle Feeding Guidance For parents who choose or need to bottle feed, they offer guidance on formula, preparation, recognising hunger cues, and responsive feeding. They work with you to develop a plan that meets your baby’s nutritional needs and fits your family’s routine.

• 👶 Nutritional Advice As your baby grows, their nutritional needs change. The Infant Feeding Team, part of the 0-19 Health Team can offer advice on introducing solids. 

• 👩‍🦰 Support for Every Feeding Journey The team can support you through every stage of feeding, your baby, to learn more about our infant feeding support services and how we can help your little one thrive get in touch. 

Find out more 

📱 Ring 01226 774411 

Midwives are essential healthcare professionals who support you throughout your pregnancy, birth, and the early weeks of your baby’s life.

Here’s how they can help:

• 🤰 Pregnancy Care - Midwives provide comprehensive care during your pregnancy. They monitor your health and your baby’s development through regular check-ups, screenings, and tests. They offer advice on nutrition, exercise, and preparing for birth, ensuring you and your baby stay healthy.

• 🌷 Birth Support - When it’s time to give birth, midwives are there to support you through labour and delivery. They help manage pain, offer encouragement, and ensure a safe birth experience, whether at home, or in a hospital.

• 💜 Postnatal Care After your baby is born, midwives continue to support you. They check on your recovery, help with breastfeeding, and monitor your baby’s health. They guide you on newborn care, from feeding to sleeping, and address any concerns you might have.

• 👩‍⚕️ Emotional Support - Pregnancy and early parenthood can be overwhelming. Midwives offer emotional support, helping you manage anxiety and connecting you with additional resources if needed. They’re there to listen and provide reassurance.

Early Help Engagement Practitioners, are based in the Family Hubs and deliver groups and face to face Parenting Programmes. 

Here’s how else they help:

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Identifying Families in Need They listen to your concerns and work with you to figure out what support you need. They often work closely with schools, and community groups to identify families who may be facing challenges such as financial difficulties, housing issues, or parenting struggles.

• 🤝 Building Relationships They take the time to understand your family’s needs and build a supportive relationship with you. 

• 📋 Assessing Needs Early Help Engagement Practitioners can help you identify the specific needs and challenges you might be facing. This might be a conversation about what you are worried about, identifying strengths within your family, and what you'd like to change. Whether it’s finding housing, getting financial help, or dealing with parenting issues, they’ll help you figure it out.

• 💚 Early Help Assessments If you are unable to get an Early Help Assessment through school, or if you aren't working with any professionals but feel you would benefit from Early Help, you can speak to an Engagement Practitioner in any of our Family Hubs. 

• 👨‍🦰 Providing Parenting Support - They can offer practical parenting advice from tots to teens, either answering quick questions to do with potty training or more in-depth conversations about behaviour right through to group parenting programmes

• 🪁 Connecting Families to Services Engagement Practitioners act as a bridge between families and more targeted support services. 

Find out more

📱 To speak to an Early Help Engagement Practitioner, ring 0800 0345 340 option 2 or pop in to your chosen Family Hub 

Our team of Targeted Early Help Support Practitioners are here to provide support to your family when you need it. 

• 👩 Targeted Family Support They give you personalised help and advice, understanding your family’s needs and offering support that fits your situation. They work closely with parents and children to understand your specific situation. 

• 👩‍👦 Parenting Help -If you need tips on parenting or dealing with tricky situations, they’re there to offer advice and support. They can show you evidence-based strategies, to build your confidence and reassure you. 

• 🔎 Finding Services If you’re not sure where to go for help, or need more specialist help they can guide you and refer you to other services like drug and alcohol services, healthcare, education support, mental health support and more. 

• 🌼 Emotional Support Sometimes you just need someone to talk to, to help you identify what's going well and what you'd like to change. They’re here to listen, offer support, and help you find solutions to problems.

• 👦 Early Help They work with you to catch issues early and prevent them from getting worse, helping your family stay on track.

• 👧 Supporting Children They offer support, working directly with children to help understand their behaviour, feelings and emotions. 

• 👨 Bringing Services Together If you need help getting what your family needs, they can speak up for you and make sure your voice is heard, they may support you by coming to meetings with school, and pull other professionals together to make sure things are progressing, and getting better for you and your family. 

• 🌈 Following Up and Monitoring Progress They will continue to work with you over time, providing ongoing support and monitoring progress towards your goals. 

Find out more:

💻 Read more about Early Help & Requesting Targeted support here