Thursday 3rd April 08 - Goodwin Volunteer Doula Service Conference: Stamping the Volunteer Doula Footprint on the UK

On 3rd April 2008, the Goodwin Volunteer Doula Service will be holding a national conference to launch a replication model of the highly successful service which has been running in Hull for the past 2 ½ years. The purpose of the project in Hull has been to train volunteers to be doulas or 'birthing partners' for women across Hull who have little or inadequate support through the later stages of pregnancy, birth and for 6 weeks postnatally. We feel that the unique selling points of our service are:

Supporting vulnerable women through pregnancy and birth. Volunteers recruited are moving into university training and employment. Of the 44 volunteers we have trained and supported to date, nine have been offered places to study midwifery or adult nursing and two have gained employment. The six weeks postnatal support offered by the volunteers ensures a strong early intervention and signposting route for the family. Building stronger relationships between parents, midwifery services and the voluntary sector. The training course we offer the volunteers consists of 37 hours of classroom learning and is currently accredited to Level 2 with OCN. We are currently developing this to a level 3 and increasing the number of learning hours.

So why replicate? As the Hull project has demonstrated there have been huge benefits to both mums and families, volunteers and all other services and agencies supporting these women. We have had much interest nationally around how we have successfully developed the service, so why re-invent the wheel?

Our service demonstrates a clear fit with the National Service Framework, Maternity Matters Policy, Every Child Matters, Our health, Our care, Our say and Reaching Out: An Action Plan on Social Exclusion and has been evaluated locally as making a positive impact on local midwifery services supporting this group of vulnerable women, and additionally helping to achieve better birth outcomes. This has also been recognized as Hull Teaching PCT and the Hull City Council are jointly funding the Hull project for the forthcoming year.

The conference will be an opportunity to meet the Goodwin Volunteer Doula Service team, some of our volunteers and mums we have supported, as well as hearing from the local commissioners as to why they are backing the project in Hull. Key note speakers are, to date, Carolyn Heaney, Department of Health, Pauline Dumble, Assistant Director of Modernisation, Hull Teaching PCT, Karen Thirsk, Head of Midwifery, Hull Hospitals, Peter McGurn, Chief Executive of Goodwin Development Trust and Julie Green, Midwifery Lecuturer.

For further information about the event please contact Heather Barnes, 01482 497811.

Coming Up - 15th to 20th April 08 - Glimmer, The 6th Hull International Short Film Festival
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