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Key Facts
- Holding organisation: Artevelde University College Ghent Department of Bachelor in Midwifery
- People involved in the project: 15 Bachelor students in Midwifery and Social Work, supervision by a professional multidisciplinary team (midwives/educators/social worker)
- Contact Persons: Anne Marie HOOGEWYS; annemarie.hoogewys@arteveldehs.
- Main project links: http://www.arteveldehogeschool.be/eenbuddybijdewieg/
The idea
« The project "a buddy near the crib: perinatal coaching for deprived families", applies for the first time a system of coaching within the context of healthcare. Future midwifes and social workers take up the role of buddy in distressed families during pregnancy, birth and early childhood. » .
The local context
« In Flanders, more than one child in ten is born into a family living below the poverty line. Deprivation, high barriers to medical and social care and lack of knowledge have a detrimental effect on pregnancy outcome for mother and child. An adequate prenatal care trajectory and continuity of care through birth and childhood are major factors in reducing these risks. »
The starting point
« Previous research at the Artevelde University College Ghent revealed that the majority of deprived pregnant women had difficulties in finding access to pre-, peri- and postnatal care within the Flemish context (Belgium). A lack of a participative relationship between deprived families and healthcare seemed to be at the core of this problem. The key to breaking through the barriers was to create an alternative assistance to improve this relationship. »
How does it work today?
« Before students are asked to support a family, they undergo a specific training to understand the different perspective on healthcare. Various thinking patterns are offered to develop some competencies useful in coaching deprived families. Prenatal consultations are used to match families and students. (empowerement tools/listening behaviours/shared responsibility/relationship building)
- The buddy-work is now ongoing for a year. As a buddy, students try to have weekly contact and meet the family they are assigned to. Issues such as prenatal attachment and birth premium are discussed. Students also provide in basic support and act as a coach to lead their family to health- and social care if needed. The action covers five areas, including four with an instrumental dimension (informative, practical, organizational and referral support)and one with a relational dimension (emotional support).
- A professional, multidisciplinary team supervises the students and besides a two-weekly peer review, a digital platform is used to communicate. Sharing their experiences help buddies to deal with difficulties such as priority issues, drop-out and frustration about unchangeable situations.
Participation and Governance
- Target group: Disadvantaged pregnant women from the Ghent area who comply with different criteria (family situation, Network, employment situation, Participation in health, Housing, Age).
- External Partners
- Contact with all the social services of the Ghent hospitals
- Gynaecologists
- Midwives through prenatal consultation
- Voluntary organizations `
- Voluntary midwife students (Ultimately, the buddy-action is planned to become part of regular midwifery-training).
Added value of the project and making resources available
- Fighting early childhood poverty
- Connecting underprivileged pregnant families with all existing providers and organizations in the first, second and third line.
- Responding to the possible needs of pregnant families (incl. Participation and empowerment)
- improving the professionalization of the students involved: develop competencies that are specifically needed when caring for people in
poverty. As future professionals, they act as a multiplier to their colleagues
Challenges
- Capacity building takes time sometimes individual health care has no time
- Difficulty for students to handle priority issues: basic conditions (housing, eating, heating) first versus care first?
- Need for students to better know social services functioning
Future perspective
Ongoing study to design a “buddy profile”: Design a structure applicable in different settings
- Evaluate the added value of the project for the deprived families:
- Has the family’s (social) network increased?
- Has the buddy action increased their ability to manage their own life?
- How did the family perceive the buddy’s support?