Ante-natal
Why engage at the ante-natal stage?
The ante-natal period provides a good opportunity for libraries to engage with parents about ECALM. By raising awareness at this stage, parents will be better prepared when library membership is offered at birth registration. Parents are more likely to take in information about the benefits of library membership at this stage than at a birth registration appointment. Hearing this key message from a midwife, health visitor or family nurse and then by the registrar means that parents are being made aware of the benefits of library membership at the earliest opportunity.
Ante-natal classes
As well as providing information for local NHS led ante-natal classes, other parenting groups worth contacting are PEEP, Mellow Bump groups or National Childbirth Trust classes.
Universal Health Visiting Pathway: Pre-birth to pre-school
The Universal Health Visiting Pathway consists of 11 home visits to all families – 8 within the first year of life and 3 Child Health Reviews between 13 months and 4-5 years. The pathway means that the health visitor can play a wider role, including as a gateway to other support services.
The ECALM Delivery pathway advocates that simple messaging is shared at 3 key stages, the details of these are outlined in the NHS Advocacy document which is included in the resources section of the toolkit. This can be used and adapted to engage with local Health Visitors, Family Nurses and NHS Health Improvement Teams.
Family Nurse PartnershipFamily Nurse Partnership
The Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) programme is delivered in the home, by a specially trained nurse on a one-to-one basis for first-time young mothers from early pregnancy (before 28 weeks) until their child is two years old. During these visits, the nurse builds a relationship with the mother and uses materials and activities designed to support health behaviour change, improve understanding of positive relationships, improve positive, consistent caregiving, and increase opportunities to access both community, education, and employment opportunities.
Family Nurse Partnerships currently operate in the following NHS Board/Local Authority areas:
Lothian, Tayside, Fife, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Ayrshire and Arran, Forth Valley, Highland (Inverness area), Lanarkshire, Borders, Grampian, Dumfries and Galloway.
