The Outcomes star is a tool which helps you consider all areas of being a parent.
The Star is split into 9 prongs which are as follows:
Budgeting
- Moneyhelper - Guide to Store cards
- Step Change – Debt Advice service
- His Provision- Runs two family centres in Blackpool providing volunteering opportunities, free family meals and kids club on a Monday
- The Kensington Foundation- The Kensington Foundation is a Blackpool based charity whose objectives are “to promote the relief of homelessness, poverty, deprivation and distress”
- Trussell Trust- The Trussell trust is a nationwide network of food banks and provide emergency food and support to people struggling financially
- Blackpool food bank
- Citizens Advice Blackpool- Provides independent, impartial, confidential advice that is free at the point of access and helps people understand and exercise their rights and responsibilities
- Healthy Start Vouchers - How to apply for Healthy Start vouchers for fruit and vegetables
- FYi Directory - Cost of living help
Housing
- Blackpool Coastal Housing - Support for Housing within Blackpool
- Housing Options- Support with facing homelessness or eviction
- Blackpool Council - Problems with your landlord or rented property
- Fylde Coast Advice Centre - Charity who assist with threat of homelessness
Antenatal Health
- Blackpool Maternity Services
- Dental Hygiene in Pregnancy by Emma’s Diary
- Dental Care – Dental Health Services and Emergency Out of Hours Number, as well as dental advice
- Tommy’s Pregnancy Hub –Evidence Based advice on fetal movements, e-cigarettes and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. ‘When to call the midwife when experiencing any of the following Flyer’, ‘Make a Wellbeing Plan’ and 'Premature Birth'
- National Childbirth Trust – Positions for labour and birth
- Netmums is an online parenting community, which has forums, parenting content, recipes and product reviews
- MAMA Academy - The UK Safer Pregnancy Charity
Healthy Eating
- Henry support the whole family to make positive lifestyle changes, creating healthier and happier home environments, and building healthier communities
- The Eatwell Guide - A guide on how to have a balance of healthier and more sustainable foods
Smoking
- Better Health Start for Life - Smoking Section information on the dangers of cigarette smoking for families and babies, link to stop smoking services
- Stop Smoking Blackpool
- Tommy's Smoking in Pregnancy
Drugs and Alcohol
- Drink Aware - Support on how to cut down on drinking alcohol and dangers of drinking alcohol.
- Horizon – Horizon provides Alcohol, drugs and sexual health support within Blackpool
- Talk to Frank - Talk to Frank advice and information on drugs and alcohol
Sexual Health
- Blackpool and Lancashire Sexual Health Services -The website has clinic finder, contraception options, e-ordering of contraception and information of sexually transmitted diseases
Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Active Blackpool - ‘Get Out, Get Active' Try activities for free for adults, catering for all and tailored to individual abilities
- Blackpool Football Club Community Trust - FIT programme. A 12 week programme which includes theory based workshops and physical activity to create a sustainable and effective weight loss results through healthier lifestyle choices
- Dad matters aims to help dads have supportive relationships with their families and support fathers who have anxiety, stress and mental health issues
- Empowerment is a Blackpool based charity passionate about getting your voice heard. Empowerment supports dads through The Dads Place
- Family Lives offers a confidential and free* helpline service for families for emotional support, information, advice and guidance on any aspect of parenting and family life.
- Future Men – ‘New Father or about to become one’ leaflet
- Homestart is an organisation which supports families struggling with post-natal depression, isolation, physical health problems, bereavement and many other issues through volunteer support via home visits
- The Association for Post-natal illness- ‘The Baby Blues and Postnatal Depression’ leaflet
- Mental Health- A mental health directory of services available within Lancashire
- Mind is a mental health charity which has a helpline and resources to support families
- Panda foundation is a support service for parents or families affected by perinatal mental illness (i.e postnatally depression)
- Options for Children and Young People - offer help and support to young people
- University of Surrey- Supporting Parents with Learning Disability Guide- links to QR codes for parents for Mencap and other information
- University of Surrey – Maternity Health Passport to support families with learning disabilities
- Blackpool Talking Therapies - Parent Wellbeing Course
- NHS Every Mind Matters - Accessing urgent support 111 and 999
- Become - This charity supports people who are entering or leaving care
- Renaissance - offer LGBTQ+ Health and Wellbeing support through groups or one to one
Feeding my baby
Unicef & Better Health Start for Life Resources Breastfeeding Resources:
- Breastfeeding after returning to work or study
- Attachment and Positioning
- National Breastfeeding helpline
- The Breastfeeding Network- Information on medications which impact breastfeeding
Responsive Bottle feeding:
- Responsive Bottle feeding 10 step guide
- Guide to Bottle feeding
- Just One Norfolk – Bottle feeding
General Feeding information
- Henry Blackpool
- National Childbirth Trust (NCT)- ‘Newborn baby poo: what to expect’ flyer
- First Step’s Nutrition- Eating Well Resources
- Start for Life Better Health- Healthier Recipes
- Your Local Feeding Information Board- Lactose intolerance in infants-information for parents & carers
My baby's health
Ready for Parenthood Film- A short film providing tips, advice and support for new parents.
Child Accident Prevention Trust-Safety Advice Leaflets:
- Parent Pack on Safety Advice
- Preventing Burns and Scalds
- Car Safety
- Free from Falls
- Poisoning Prevention
- Button Battery Safely
- Choking, Strangulation and Suffocation
- Alder Hey Symptom Checker
St Johns Ambulance handouts:
NSPCC Resources in Safety:
- Handle with Care
- Home Alone- Your guide to keeping your child safe
- NHS ‘Bathing your baby’
- Blue Cross for Pets- ‘Introducing Your dog and baby’
- Institute of Health Visiting- Staying Safe in the sun
- ICON Coping with Crying Resources and ICON Care Plan
- Institute of Health Visiting – has top tips for families
My baby's sleep
Unicef- Caring for your baby at Night Leaflet
The Lullaby Trust:
Stages of development
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention- ‘Help your baby learn and grow’ developmental milestones. See baby's development at 2 months of age, 4 months of age and 6 months of age
- Baby Buddy App – An app for families which track your baby’s development, evidence based advice and personalised daily information.
- NSPCC- Understanding child brain development
- BBC Tiny Happy People - tips for parents in pregnancy and babies development
Playtime
Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists:
- Awake Time Ideas leaflet (download)
- ‘Tummy Time to play every day’ leaflet (download)
Blackpool Better Start:
- ‘Big Little Moments’
- ‘Blackpool Children and Families network’ information
- NHS- Baby and Toddler Ideas for Play
Speech and Language
- Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University- ‘5 Steps for Brain Building Serve and Return’ flyer
- TED Talk- How every child can thrive by 5? (YouTube video by Molly Wright)
- NSPCC- ‘Look, Say, Play and Sing’ leaflet
- Rockabye Baby – It takes Rock music and transforms it into soothing lullabies for babies
TV and Electronic Devices
- Unicef- ‘Babies need humans not screens’
Pets
- Blue Cross for Pets- ‘Introducing Your dog and baby’
Home safety
Child Accident Prevention Trust-Safety Advice Leaflets:
- Parent Pack on Safety Advice
- Preventing Burns and Scalds
- Car Safety
- Free from Falls
- Poisoning Prevention
- Button Battery Safely
- Choking, Strangulation and Suffocation
- Toy Safety
- Child Accident Prevention - Drowning
- Child Accident Prevention - Blind Cords
- How to reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)
NSPCC Resources in Safety:
Other Safety Resources
- Blue Cross for Pets
- Institute of Health Visiting- Staying Safe in the sun
- ICON
- Blackpool Coastal Housing – Tenancy Cuckooing – Keeping Safe
- The Salvation Army- Modern Slavery-Spot the Signs Video
- Nest- Where’s the Harm – A Guide to Keeping your child safe booklet
- Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service- Arrange your personalised fire safety check of your house and smoke alarms
- Lancashire Police - Lancashire Constabulary
- Alder Hey Symptom Checker
Water safety
- NHS ‘Bathing your baby’
- Emma’s Diary- Keeping babies and children safe from water video
First Aid
St Johns Ambulance handouts:
In Pregnancy, babies start their journey of communication with us responding through movement to a song, their caregivers voice or touch. The brain cells start to tune in right from the first trimester. Our babies brains continue to be developed through their experiences. Below are some useful links which can help you within your parenthood journey.
Baby’s Brain Development
- BBC -A collection of activities and videos from Tiny Happy People, on how you can help your babies’ development antenatally and postnatally
- Best Beginnings Baby Buddy App – An app for parents to download via Apple Store or Google Play for mobile phone or tablet. The app has evidence based information within antenatal and postnatal periods
- Unicef - Building babies’ brains through play: Tips on how to Boost your baby’s brain development and serve and return
Baby’s Cues
- Unicef- Building a Happy Baby- a guide for parents on the myths and realities of responding to baby cues
- Brazelton Centre UK – Information on how babies communicate with their caregiver
- Institute of Health Visiting – ‘Getting to Know your baby’ section there are free videos on each baby state and recognising these and responding to these
- Children’s Institute – Dr Ed Tronick Still Face Dad’s Experiment Video
- Dr Ed Tronick- Experiment with Mother and Baby Still Face Video
- Dan Siegel ‘Flip Your Lid- Hand Model’ video
- Association for Infant Mental Health - Getting to Know Your Baby Videos
Skin to Skin Contact
- Tommy’s ‘Bonding with your Baby’ - information on skin to skin and tummy time
Managing your child’s behaviour
- Better Start- Big Little Moments - Tips of activities to do with your child
Relationship Resources
- Gingerbread- An organisation who provides support for families experiencing bereavement, separation or sorting out childcare.
- NHS- Tips on Managing Stress and Anxiety in Relationships
- Stonewall –An organisation who are advocates for LGBTQ+ and raise awareness and promote inclusivity.
- Bristol University- Plain Facts- Being Good Parents – Parents with Learning Disabilities Guide
- The Duluth Wheel of Control – Explores Non-Violent Relationship Qualities
- Blackpool Council - Relationships Matter Video Workshop
Domestic violence
- How to get help for Domestic Abuse (Home Office information)
- For Baby’s Sake - For Baby’s Sake empowers families to break the cycle of domestic abuse
- Fylde Coast Women’s Aid is a supportive charity for domestic abuse
- Women’s Aid - provide Support for Domestic Abuse for men and women
- Marriage care - provides couples counselling for married couples or couples within a long term relationship
- Domestic Abuse Victim Support
Support Networks
- Community Connectors - Support for families who are pregnant and children up until 4 years of age
Activities
- Blackpool Library services –list of libraries and events going on within the library
- Blackpool Family Hub Timetables- Timetables for the family hub
- Blackpool Co Production - Parents of the Revolution Activities
Local resources
- Henry - has a service to support parents with infant feeding. Their mission is to support a healthy, happy start for children and lay the foundation for a brighter start
- Blackpool Local Offer
Childcare
- FYI directory – a directory of health, social and childcare services within Blackpool
Useful Apps
- Squeezy Pelvic Floor App - This is a designed by chartered physiotherapist specialising in women’s and men’s pelvic health
- Anya- Breastfeeding App. High quality 3D animations that demonstrate breastfeeding techniques, you can watch a 3D virtual mum breastfeeding her baby in different positions (e.g. cross cradle, rugby hold, side lying) to support your learning of vital breastfeeding skills. These include how to hold your baby, how to spot your baby’s hunger cues, and how to attach your baby correctly on your breast to achieve a deep latch
- Baby Check App - This has a 19 simple checks that parents can complete to assess if their baby is showing signs of illness and direct parents if they need to seek medical advice
- Safe Sleep Information App - Infant Sleep Info App provides key information from the Basis website in a handy format for mobile devices. Covering normal sleep development, sleep location and sleep safety the familiar info from the website is delivered in smaller chunks
- Baby Buddy App - Pregnancy and Postnatal App by Best Beginnings - Co-created with the Royal College of Midwives, this evidence-based app, helps to support parents with information and videos on topics within pregnancy and postnatal period
- Bright Sky App - Domestic Abuse app - Bright Sky is an app which can help provide information on spotting the signs of abuse, how to respond and safety planning. It has a UK wide directory of domestic abuse support
- Yellow Alert App- Newborn Jaundice - An app to spot the early signs of liver disease. It provides a guide of newborn stool colours and when further medical attention may be required
- Better Health, Healthier Families App - Healthy Eating - Scan your foods and find the healthier swaps, also it will traffic light red, yellow or green foods
- NHS Born to Move - Child Development App - An app produced by NHS Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust. This App provides tips and advice to help with your baby’s development from Antenatal to School Age
- Smoke Free App - Stop Smoking support via App - The NHS Smokefree app can help you stop smoking by providing daily support and motivation
- Dad Pad App - An App especially designed for fathers to be or fathers with babies with evidence based advice and support
- St Johns Ambulance App - First Aid Advice - Step by Step instructions on all different topics, includes advice for treating children and adults
- My Possible Self - Mental Health App - An app to help with stress and anxiety, giving support and advice
Education
- Blackpool Fylde and Wyre College provide a wide range of courses and apprenticeships
- Blackpool Football Club Community Trust - Working with residents as young as two years old up to adults in the later stages of life, Blackpool FC Community Trust provide a diverse range of programmes to increase social inclusion opportunities; improve physical fitness, health, and education; and lessen involvement in anti-social behaviour
- Princes Trust - This 12-week full-time course is delivered by our staff on behalf of the Prince’s Trust. It is available for young people aged 16-25 years and is aimed at improving their confidence, motivation, and skills
Care to learn
- Care to learn is a scheme which helps with childcare costs if you are aged 20 or under at the start of the course
Employment and CV Writing
- Blackpool Learning Rooms - Face to Face courses in Family learning, IT and computing, Accredited courses, Cookery, Employability and life skills, skills builder sessions and health and wellbeing for 19 years and over
- The Platform- for 16–24-year-olds to find jobs, access training and education
- Positive Steps into Work-helping unemployed families get back into work and supporting them within the transition
At the start of your time with the Early Parenthood Service, your nurse will work alongside you to identify where you are on each of the nine prongs of the star. You will consider the areas that are going well and the areas where you need more support.
Together you will set goals and make a plan that you work towards during your visits. During pregnancy, the information and topics discussed during visits will be tailored to your individual plan. You will review the star towards the end of pregnancy with your nurse, looking at the goals you have achieved.
Following the birth of the baby you may have new goals and priorities as you move forward on your journey into parenthood. The star will help you identify any new goals. With your nurse it will also help you consider the future as you look towards moving on from the Early Parenthood Service when your baby is up to 3 months old. It may be that the support available to everybody who has had a baby, for example health visitors and attending family hubs, is right for you. It may be that you feel you would benefit from more specific support such as The Early Help team, Parent Infant Relationship service or perinatal mental health service
Before you end your time with your nurse you will complete a final star to celebrate your journey as a parent and the goals you have achieved.
Following completion of one of the stars during pregnancy or after your baby has been born, you both may decide that a different type of support offered by a different service may be more appropriate for your personal situation. Your nurse will support you in the transition to a different service, ensuring you get the support at the right time that is right for you.