The Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) Programme is a strength based, intensive, preventative home visiting programme. It is offered to first time teenage parents.
In Dudley the Family Nurse Partnership programme is delivered by specially trained, experienced Health Visitors and Nurses. The named Family Nurse will provide intensive and structured home visiting from early in pregnancy and for the first two years of the child's life. A programme schedule is followed which covers personal health, environmental health, life course development, maternal role and friends/family. The Family Nurse will also undertake the Healthy Child Programme (the theory that underpins the Health Visitors schedule of visits) for families on her caseload.
FNP uses in-depth methods to work with young parents on attachment, relationships and psychological preparation for parenthood. Family Nurses build supportive relationships with families and help guide first time teenage parents enabling them to adopt healthier lifestyles for themselves and their babies and plan their futures.
The programme focuses on improving outcomes in three main areas:
- Improving antenatal health and supporting positive attachment
- Enhancing child development and school readiness
- Linking the family to wider social networks and improve parental economic self sufficiency
Research findings are consistent from the 3 large RCT's. They demonstrate that outcomes of the FNP programme include:
- Mothers feeling very positive about their parenting capability reporting high levels of warm parenting and lower levels of harsh discipline
- Participants reporting higher levels of self-esteem at the end of the programme than at the beginning
- Improvement in women's prenatal health
- Greater intervals between births
- Fewer subsequent pregnancies
- Increases in fathers' involvement
- High numbers of young people returning to education and employment
- Improvement in school readiness and developmental progress of the child
- FNP is one of only two programmes demonstrated to prevent child maltreatment (The Lancet, 2008)
- The programme is cost effective with evidence demonstrating considerable savings to the public purse
Referrals can be made by Professionals or by the client themselves either by telephone 01384 366662 or email bchft.dudleyfnpservice@nhs.net
Clients that are eligible must be:
- Aged 19 years or under at the date of their last menstrual period. Aged 24 years or under at the date of their last menstrual period for Clients in the Looked After System or Leaving Care system
- Living in Dudley Borough
- First pregnancy confirmed by health professional (included if previous pregnancy ended in miscarriage, stillbirth or termination)
- Notified to the FNP team no later than 24 weeks gestation unless concealed pregnancy
For further information, or to come and meet with the team please do not hesitate to contact us.
Our working hours are Monday- Friday 9am-5pm (excluding Bank holidays.)
The team are based at:
Kingswinford Health Centre (1st floor), Standhills Road, Dudley, DY6 8DN
Tel: 01384 366662
Email: bchft.dudleyfnpservice@nhs.net
FNP Supervisor:
Ceri Evans cerievans5@nhs.net
FNP Admin Support:
Debbie Smith debbiesmith6@nhs.net