Solihull Approach Breastfeeding Supporter Training

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Solihull Approach Breastfeeding Supporter Training
Speakers Mary Rheeston - Solihull Approach
Coordinator Carmen Baskerville Breastfeeding Co
ordinator

• LEADING for HEALTH
• Safeguarding the community
• Unite/CPHVA Annual Professional Conference 2009

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What is the Solihull Approach?

• Integrated theory and practice for all agencies
  working with children,
• families and groups
• Initially focused on health visitors but has
  extended to multi professional groups and multi
  agency

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Solihull Approach Model
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What is the aim of the Solihull Approach?

• To provide a framework for thinking for working
  with families with babies, children and young
  people
• To improve mental health of children and
  positively support long term mental health
• To providing a shared language across child
  workers

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The History of the Solihull Approach

• Began in 1996
• Partnership between Health Visitors
  Psychotherapists in Solihull
• Led to an integrated model Containment,
  Reciprocity and Behaviour Management
• Led to development of comprehensive resource pack
  and training across UK and Solihull Approach
  Parenting Group
• Further developments - Resource packs and
  training for Fostering and Adoption, Antenatal,
  Early Years Foundation Stage and Breastfeeding
  Supporter Training

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Containment

• Containment is where a person receives and
  understands the emotional communication of
  another without being overwhelmed by it and
  communicates this back to the other person. This
  process can restore the capacity to think in the
  other person.

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Containment so what?

• Helps parents and their baby to relate
• Helps the parent to think about their baby/child
• Helps the parent to help their baby cope with
  anxiety and emotion so that the baby is free to
  relate
• Helps the parent process some old emotions so
  that the parent can relate to the actual baby in
  front of them, not a projection of a baby/child

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Reciprocity

• Describes the sophisticated interaction between a
  baby and an adult where both the baby and the
  adult are involved in the initiation, regulation
  and termination of the interaction. Reciprocity
  also applies to the interaction between adults.

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Reciprocity So What?

• Helps parents and their baby to relate
• Tunes in the parent to think about their baby
• Increases the parents awareness of their childs
  needs
• Provides a way of feeding back to the parents
  about the interaction

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Behaviour management

• A process whereby parents help their child learn
  self-control and social rules.
• Behaviour communicates something (feelings,
  needs)

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Behaviour management

• Sensitive and effective behaviour management is a
  product of containment and reciprocity therefore
  placed at the end of the process
• Customised to parent child relationship

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What difference?

• Provides a model for intervening in attachment
  difficulties
• Early recognition of lack of reciprocity
• Early intervention
• Earlier referral to specialist services when
  required
• Can improve support for professionals
• Can improve links with specialists

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Why is it useful in practice?

• Provides a consistent approach amongst
  professionals and agencies
• Provides a shared language
• Workers and parents like it
• Experienced professionals can start to use them
  with minimal training
• But the concepts are rich enough to repay years
  of study and practice

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Peer Breastfeeding Supporter

• Despite the overwhelming health benefits and cost
  savings, UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding
  rates, especially among families from
  disadvantaged groups
• This is particularly evident in the North of the
  borough of Solihull.

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Peer Breastfeeding Supporter

• Peer support has been shown to be effective,
  particular with women from areas of disadvantage
• Evidence shows Peer Breastfeeding support and
  complementary telephone support can maintain
  breastfeeding beyond 3 months and improved
  satisfaction with the feeding experience

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Breastfeeding Supporter Training

• Began in 2003
• Midwife, Health Visitor and Volunteer
  Breastfeeding Advisor all based in Chelmsley Wood
  Sure Start Centre (North Solihull) were
  discussing ideas to influence low breastfeeding
  rates in Chlemsley Wood

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Breastfeeding Supporter Training

• At same time Sure Start Midwife was talking to a
  group of mothers in the Sure Start centre about
  breastfeeding
• Mothers said they wanted to support other mothers
  to breastfeed or at least think about it as an
  option for feeding their baby

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Breastfeeding Supporter Training

• Professionals wanted
• An approach that could change the way
  breastfeeding was viewed in the community
• Make breastfeeding support more accessible to
  local community
• Increase breastfeeding rates

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Breastfeeding Supporter Training

• Discussions about the content of course
• Mothers said they wanted
• To know the best way to listen to other mothers
  and families
• To be able to give up to date accurate
  information on breastfeeding
• To be trained with ongoing support

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Breastfeeding Supporter Training

• Aim of training is to prepare breastfeeding
  supporters to provide
• Support that integrates Solihull Approach Model
  of containment, reciprocity and behaviour
  management with information about breastfeeding
• Emotional support to mother, fathers, partners
  and families of mothers thinking about
  breastfeeding or breastfeeding their baby
• Accurate information about breastfeeding
• Additional support via telephone contact by
  trained and designated breastfeeding supporters

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Breastfeeding Supporter Training

• Overall structure of course has remained same
  with some details and activities altered in
  response to feedback from delegates
• 2 groups were run in 2003 and 2006
• Delivery of group interrupted by changes from
  Sure Start Status to Childrens Centres and
  redeployment of staff
• New groups run 2008/2009
• Group training restarted with joint working
  between Solihull Approach Coordinator and
  Solihull Breastfeeding Coordinator
• Plan to continue to run 2-3 group per year as
  part of Solihull Breastfeeding strategy

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Solihull Breastfeeding Strategy

• Aims to
• Provide a multi-agency framework
• Focus on working in partnership as part of a
  healthier communities approach to develop an
  effective an action plan
• .

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Solihull Breastfeeding Strategy

• Breastfeeding Peer support is one element of the
  breastfeeding strategy
• Supervisor for Solihull Breastfeeding Peer
  Supporters is based at the Solihull Healthy Life
  Style shop which is a one-stop shop offering
  public health information and support to our
  community

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Breastfeeding Supporter Training

• Design of training
• Six week course with a follow up session 4-6
  weeks later
• Each sessions lasts 1and half hours
• Child care provided, separation issues very
  relevant for training groups
• Additional support sessions were arranged 2-3
  monthly following training
• For supporters running baby cafés weekly
  supervision provided

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Breastfeeding Supporter Training

• Sessions included
• Week 1 Introduction to Breastfeeding Supporter
  Training
• Week 2 Communication Helpful ways to provide
  support
• Week 3 Emotional significance of breastfeeding
  and how the breast works

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Breastfeeding Supporter Training

• Sessions included
• Week 4 - Breastfeeding and common breastfeeding
  difficulties
• Week 5 Emotional Responses to breastfeeding and
  difficulties
• - Support Networks
• Week 6 - Boundaries, Confidentiality and Way
  Forward
• Week 7 Follow up
• - Additional Telephone Support (Optional)

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Breastfeeding Supporter Training

• Example of session 2 Communication Helpful
  ways to provide support
• Links providing breastfeeding support and
  Solihull Approach model
• Concepts of model are described and experienced
  through activities rather than defined
• Start of session Settling children into crèche
  Emphasis in facilitating separation, containing
  anxieties and helping mothers into a state of
  mind for learning

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Breastfeeding Supporter Training

• Activity what helps and does not help when
  listening to another person
• Providing a supportive experience for parents
  use of containment and visual diagram

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Containment
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Containment

• Received/understood

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Containment
Head full
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Containment
Parallel Process
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Containment
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Breastfeeding Supporter Training

• Dance of communication (reciprocity) role play
  by trainers
• Listening activity
• Homework- observe interaction between 2 adults or
  adult and child and think about dance of
  communication

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Breastfeeding Supporter Training

• Session 3 Emotional significance of
  breastfeeding and how the breast works
• Settle children into crèche
• Feedback from homework
• Activity
• How breast works using cotton wool, string and
  balloons
• Different types of milk

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Breastfeeding Supporter Training

• Comments from breastfeeding supporters following
  training
• The training has helped me understand that I
  need a clear head to be able to support other
  mothers
• I feel confident to talk to mothers who want to
  breastfeed
• Its been really interesting and Ive learnt a
  lot

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CONTACT DETAILS

• Solihull Approach Office
• Address Vaillant Building, Dunster Road,
  Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham. B37 7UU
• Tel [phone]
• Email solihullapproach_at_solihull-ct.nhs.uk
• Website www.solihull.nhs.uk/solihullapproach