Sharing Stories, Supporting Mums

Sharing stories, supporting mums

Message from the Team Leader

This issue of the newsletter It is a great account of the ANFPP. This was made Twelfth Edition hopes to share some insight personal determination and possible during the biennial July 2013 into the everyday tasks of the resourcefulness required of national conference of the Australian Nurse-Family program staff. The flexibility Australian Association of Partnership Program demonstrated by Jane and Maternal, Child and Family (ANFPP). Jasmine Campbell, Aboriginal Health Nurses in May, where Inside this issue: Community Worker (ACW), three program staff had the “A day in the life of a Nurse show a true commitment to opportunity to connect with A day in the life of 2 Home Visitor (NHV)” provides their clients. colleagues in Canberra and a NHV some insight into a “typical” showcase the role of Family single working day for a On 26 May, Australia Partnership Workers (FPWs)/ Wellington goes member of the ANFPP, giving recognised National Sorry ACWs in the ANFPP. green for Sorry 4 us a small glimpse of the Day, which commemorates, Day activities involved in home remembers and honours the The core training and ongoing Congratulations visiting. In this article, Jane Stolen Generations and professional development of Deslie, Nancy and 4 Boulton, a NHV at Central acknowledges those who our staff remains a key aspect Neari Australian Aboriginal were affected by the removal of the program’s ability to Congress gives us a glimpse of generations of Aboriginal maintain fidelity to its program ANFPP Stage 1 5 into her experiences visiting children as a result of the model and effectiveness for Evaluation Report clients in a remote community forced removal policies. The its clients. As part of this Connecting with near Alice Springs in the team at the Wellington ongoing professional colleagues in 5 Northern Territory. Aboriginal Corporation Health development we have seen Canberra Services recognised this day three of the FPWs at by creating a wall garden with Wuchopperen Health Service Partners in their clients and babies, which gain recognition of prior Parenting 6 was a well-received, learning towards a Diploma of Education Training thoughtful and unique gesture Community Services. of acknowledgement and appreciation. New staff also took part in the Partner in Parenting The Stage 1 Formative Education (PIPE) training with Evaluation of the ANFPP is the support of a highly- now publicly accessible on the respected international ANFPP website. This is a trainer, Christine Russell. Her significant development for knowledge and breadth of the the program as it examines program is a valuable asset to how appropriate and effective the ANFPP. the program has been to date and its contribution to the As the program looks to the health and wellbeing of second half of 2013, we look Indigenous mothers and their forward to sharing more of the babies. The report provides ANFPP activities and key findings and achievements. recommendations around the program implementation Claire Runciman against this initial evaluation ANFPP Support Service phase. Team Leader

It is always appreciated when we are provided with the opportunity to recognise and acknowledge the great aspects and achievements of Reflections: A Day in the Life of a Nurse Home Visitor

Jane Boulton, Nurse Home Visitor (NHV) from Central Aus- women, they are often busy or in town; that is one of the tralia Aboriginal Congress (CACC) recently shared her expe- challenges visiting Santa Teresa. riences working with the ANFPP. After my first visit at the Women’s Centre and a quick chat to Each Wednesday, two teams, consisting of one NHV and the others who work there, it’s off to try and find the other one Aboriginal Community Worker (ACW) make the trip out women, who are often at a different house each week. We to Santa Teresa, an Aboriginal community located approxi- call the women to see if they are in town; if the women an- mately 85km south-east of Alice Springs. It’s a long and tir- swer their phones or it’s not being used by someone else it ing day; however it’s incredibly rewarding and exciting to can make locating them easier. After a few phone calls and take such a beneficial program out to community. stops at different houses we find my next client; she doesn’t like having her visits at the house because of all the family around, so we are off to the clinic to have our visit. Jasmine sits with us during these visits, as does her older son.

Once we have completed our visit and dropped her home the same process takes place to find my next client, who is expecting her first baby. Today she is at her partner’s aunt’s house; our visit takes places under the veranda of the house sitting on a picnic rug. Our visit is frequently interrupted by family walking by, dogs annoying us or even the occasional pony just popping in to see what we are up to, all providing some light entertainment throughout the visit. We also cele- brate her 20th birthday today with some of the family from inside the house who came out to sing happy birthday and enjoy some cake. It felt very special to be part of her birthday celebration.

From here, it’s off to find another client; she is not at her usu- al house, her family tell us she is staying with her boyfriend. Jane Boulton (NHV) and Jasmine Campbell (ACW) on their We go to his home but no one is there. Some young boys way to a home visit in Santa Teresa. walking home from school tell us that the woman we are looking for has gone to town for the day. I quickly write out a The Family Partnership Program (as the ANFPP is known at note to her saying I will be back next week, if she has any Congress) is well accepted in Santa Teresa, everyone worries to please call or to let her know if she is going to seems to know someone or is related to someone who is town again to pop into our office in Alice Springs. The young currently on the program or who has graduated from the program. Jasmine Campbell (ACW) and I are currently visiting five women in Santa Teresa, all of whom are currently re- ceiving pregnancy home visits. Anissa Thompson (NHV) and Tinky Watson (ACW) see the other clients who are also on the program in Santa Teresa. Prior to traveling to Santa Te- resa, I try to plan my day out, but not once have my visits turned out the way I had planned! Here is a little overview on how my day can pan out.

My first visit takes place with a woman who is expecting her third child; she works at the Child Care centre which is located at the Women’s Centre. Our visits usually take place in the activities room while the older children are outside playing and she rocks a baby to sleep in a pram. Jasmine doesn’t sit with us throughout our visits as Jasmine is family to my client’s partner and she would prefer if Jasmine wasn’t involved in her visits. This is generally my only client at San- ta Teresa who I know I can always find. As for the other The road to Santa Teresa

2 Reflections: A Day in the Life of a Nurse Home Visitor (continued) boys assure me they will pass on the note.

These are the only women we planned to visit today; if I do happen to see my other client around town or at the store, Women’s Centre or I drive past her house I stop to say a quick hello and remind her we will be back next week for a visit.

Our final stop for the day is back up to the clinic to check in with the midwife or nurse to see if they are aware of any other pregnant women and touch base with them about the ANFPP clients. After this, it’s time to head back to town, hoping that we don’t get a flat tyre or have an encounter with the cows, horses or other animals hanging out on the side of the road and enjoy some lunch along the way. My weekly visit to Santa Teresa is something I look forward to and thoroughly enjoy. I feel so privileged to be part of these women’s lives in some small way, and enjoy greatly what each woman teaches me, their generosity in sharing with me insights about their lives, family and culture. Simone and Jane (NHV) on a home visit

Flat tyre on the way to Santa Theresa

3 Wellington goes green for Sorry Day Recently, to mark Sorry Day with the clients at Wellington around the school and more plants will be planted in the wall Aboriginal Corporation Health Service (WACHS), the ANFPP garden in a process of continuous growth symbolic of the team participated in the creation of a wall garden made from way that healing our past is a process of continual growth recycled shipping pallets at Buninyong School as Communi- and renewal. ty Centre.

The team at WACHS has an enthusiastic relationship with the Buninyong Art Buddies (BABS) program, which operates from the Buninyong School and features a range of art- based activities that ANFPP clients participate in. The BABS program has been running since last June and BABS members considered a range of ideas to mark Sorry Day, which led to the idea of building a small garden that could be launched on the day with a barbeque breakfast for everyone.

The ANFPP clients who are a part of the BABS program loved the experience of building the garden. The garden was a community event and was built by Indigenous and non- Indigenous members of the community and the Buninyong School. The garden, which is built from recycled materials, has a range of natives, flowers, shrubs and water resistant plants.

Growing a garden was considered significant to Sorry Day as it reflects growing, healing and changing life. It was erect- ed on a wall at the Buninyong School for visitors to see and enjoy. The children learnt about Sorry Day as a part of the activity and the garden is a reminder of what the day repre- sents. Next year, these plants will be planted in the gardens WACHS wall garden in Dubbo, New South Wales

Congratulations Deslie, Nancy and Neari!

Three of the Family Partnership Workers (FPWs) from Wu- FPWs found that the experience was worthwhile to have chopperen Health Service recently completed a process to their accumulated skill sets formally recognised. As Deslie gain recognition of prior learning (RPL) for the Diploma of reflected: Community Services.

FPWs undertake a range of activities as a part of the “Over the years, I had done studies and worked ANFPP, including working with communities and clients as a in many departments, which I believed I could get part of the home-visiting team. In the course of this work, RPL. It does make you realise when you help or FPWs develop a range of communication, community devel- assist clients that your role plays a big part in all opment and program-specific skills and competencies. To walks of life, no matter what type of work you are recognise this bank of knowledge and experience, three employed in.” members of the ANFPP team at Wuchopperen, Neari van Hooren, Deslie Dempsey and Nancy Mosby-Kirk worked with a registered training provider and the ANFPP to develop Deslie’s comments were echoed by Neari, who said that “it a portfolio of documentation that would support their applica- felt good that we were able to reflect on our knowledge and tion to the diploma. skills and be recognised that we do have a good understanding and knowledge base around working with families The decision to pursue this external qualification was made and communities”. Neari now has an appetite for further as a team, although as individuals several members were training, perhaps in Promotion and Marketing following this already aware that they had a strong background of work- experience. place training and on-the-job experiences that may be suita- ble for the diploma. Although it was an extensive process to Congratulations from the whole ANFPP team on this won- provide documentation of current and past work experienc- derful achievement and recognition! es, skills and knowledge against the modules, all three

4 ANFPP Stage 1 Evaluation Report

The ANFPP is pleased to announce that the Stage 1 Forma- tive Evaluation of the program has been released on the ANFPP website (www.anfpp.com.au) and is available for download and distribution.

The evaluation, which was developed under the ANFPP Evaluation Framework, was based on an analysis of qualita- tive and quantitative data from the program, its stakeholders and clients.

Both the evaluation team and participating stakeholders were pleased to receive the report, which will be used to inform and improve the program’s delivery, and subsequent program monitoring and evaluation.

It was timely that the evaluation was able to take into con- sideration recent literature from the Nurse-Family Partner- ship program in the United States and the United Kingdom. For a copy of the report, please go to: www.anfpp.com.au/ evaluation

Connecting with colleagues in Canberra

In May, Neari van Hooren (Wuchopperen Health Service), nity, the ANFPP team, and other health providers. However, Jasmin Cockatoo-Collins (Wuchopperen Health Service) and as there had never been an Indigenous-specific role includ- Janice Finlayson (ANFPP Support Service) attended the ed in any national or international NFP replication site be- “Connections” conference to share information about the fore, systems need to be developed to support the FPW role development of the Family Partnership (FPW) training curric- to achieve its intended aim. ulum in the ANFPP. The goal was simple and clear: to develop and support a Connections, which is the biennial national conference of the new role in the program. While everyone was committed to Australian Association of the Maternal, Child and Family the goal, there were considerable challenges in determining Health Nurses, was held this year in Canberra and focused how best it might be achieved. The presentation described on: the processes that brought about the development; design  Connecting and working in partnership with families and implementation of the role and the associated training.

 Connecting and engaging with communities Jasmin and Neari introduced the presentation at the confer-  Connecting professionally with colleagues. ence using a case study of a client whom they had support- ed to illustrate the breadth and importance of the role. Then The ANFPP group presented on the theme of “connecting Janice, Neari and Jasmin shared their perceptions and frus- professionally with colleagues” and showcased how a focus trations of the process through which the role emerged, was on strengths has helped find solutions in the area of collabo- documented, and subsequently distilled into a training pack- rative practices and workforce development. age.

While the ANFPP is based on the Nurse-Family Partnership The case study demonstrates the importance of providing (NFP) Program from the United States - an extensively re- extensive opportunities for pioneers in new roles to discuss searched (including three randomised controlled trials) and and develop their ideas about their roles. Our experience is evidence based program, however, the introduction of the that it is not reasonable to expect new workers in a program Family Partnership Worker role was a significant Australian to be able to document what they do, develop procedures adaptation of the NFP program. and protocols for themselves, build a platform for training and to mentor new staff. External support is required to do The main aim of the FPW role is to promote trust and re- this. Further, it is likely that many “different avenues” will be spect between the clients and their family, the local Aborigi- explored before a way forward is agreed and documented nal and Torres Strait Islander community, the wider commu- for learning by the next generation of workers in the role.

5 Partners in Parenting Education Training

Recently, new members of ANFPP teams from all implementing sites undertook training in Partners in Parenting Education (PIPE) with international trainer, Christine Rus- sell.

PIPE is an interactive parent and child education model that focuses on supporting mothers to emotionally connect with their infants, whilst also giving them important information and knowledge about infant cues and healthy behaviours. PIPE is an interactive and relationship-based curriculum and instructional model that is designed to increase the emotional availability and relationship building skills of parents/caregivers with young children.

PIPE is incorporated into the ANFPP to increase awareness Tiffany Lohs (NHV CAAC) and Chloe Cassar (NHV WHS) during an of attachment behaviours between mothers and their in- interactive role play fants. PIPE emphasises how listening, learning and playing can enable healthy and fulfilling relationship between moth- has been involved with the United States Nurse-Family ers and their infants. As the participants described: Partnership (NFP) Program since 1994, when she was se- lected to be one of the 10 NHVs to take part in the NFP ran- “[PIPE] is a curriculum that has been developed to help domised control trial in Denver in 1994. During her time in young parents to connect with their infants and under- the program she has held a variety of roles, including NHV, stand that attachment process…it’s about managing Nurse Supervisor and Nurse Educator. With over 30 years your emotions and we all know how important it is for of experience Chris brings an extraordinary wealth of the development of our brain to actually form at least knowledge, combined with and balanced by clinical and one strong attachment with one known care giver. program specific experiences. She presented valuable, program specific training methods that were beneficial in theory So the idea behind PIPE is for [Nurse Home Visitors] to and in practice. As one trainee said: help young parents form those attachments with their babies” - Tiffany Lohs, Nurse Home Visitor (NHV) “[it’s] good to learn from the best” Chloe Cassar, NHV (Central Australian Aboriginal Congress). (Wuchoperren Health Service)

“[PIPE provides] a positive way for the NHVs to interact While for Tiffany Lohs, NHV (Central Australian Aboriginal with the Indigenous mothers in the program…it’s an Congress): easy way to learn” - Joy Malam, Nurse Supervisor (Wuchopperen Health Service) “[the most useful aspect of PIPE was] Chris telling her stories. Just hearing how it works with different clients, This year’s PIPE training was delivered by Chris Russell a how [Chris] chooses topics for different clients, what her public health nurse with over 35 years of experience. Chris thinking process is and why she chooses specific topics for different things… I like hearing an expert’s process, it’s really beneficial to get that and understanding how someone else is processing something.”

As part of the ANFPP core training activities, PIPE was delivered to new NHVs and one Nurse Supervisor from two implementing sites. The training focused on providing the program’s nurses with key strategies and tools that can be used to educate mothers on their own wellbeing and their child’s needs. It also gave the nurses key skills to delivery these messages effectively and appropriately.

Like any new approach, having not heard of or partaken in PIPE before, it can be difficult for some NHVs to understand the depth and importance of PIPE to the ANFPP and to fully Chris Russell (PIPE Facilitator), and Tiffany Lohs (NHV Congress) appreciate its advantages.

6 Partners in Parenting Education Training (continued)

The PIPE training provides a twofold approach to care that For the nurses attending the training it was clear to see the involves understanding infant behaviours and the mother’s importance and value of PIPE. Each received valuable physically and psychological capacity to care for her baby. knowledge on how to enable their clients to build a connec- Whilst acknowledging the importance of infant cues and tive and positive relationship with their children both emo- good health behaviours, it also looks at promoting maternal tionally and physical. Interesting to note, was the practical mental health and providing nurses with the right tools to value that PIPE provided to the nurses, and how the training adequately engage and build the confidence and capacity of enhanced their capacity to educate and transfer key con- mothers in the program. cepts and practices to their clients.

By addressing this holistic approach to parenting, PIPE en- As Chloe Cassar, NHV from Wuchopperen said: courages a cycle of care that acknowledges the importance that self-efficacy, working in partnership and family orientat- “PIPE is a fantastic way to deliver the program, each ed models of care can have on an infant’s wellbeing. topic teaches something different and a new concept to a parent [which] for a lot of our mums, they are things “Promoting maternal mental health [is especially useful] that they have never thought to do with their baby [and towards the end of that pregnancy stage… good way to are] quite foreign things. So by teaching them different brighten up [the pregnancy] and make it a bit more inter- concepts it allows them to broaden their parenting active and fun… anything to increase the communication scope”. between mum and baby while it’s still in the uterus is fantastic” Jane Boulton, NHV (Congress). Congratulations to the team for a successful training!

L-R: Chris Russell (PIPE Facilitator), Tiffany Lohs (NHV CAAC) Jane Boulton (NHV CAAC) and Chloe Cassar (NHV WHS)

7 The Australian Nurse-Family Partnership Program is delivered by the following organisations:

Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Ground Floor, Jock Nelson Centre Suite 1, 16 Hartley St, Alice Springs NT 0870 Ph: (08) 8958 4850

www.caac.org.au

Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service Wellington, New South Wales

68 Maughan Street, Wellington NSW 2820 Ph: (02) 6845 2565

www.wachs.net.au

Wuchopperen Health Service Cairns, Queensland

13 Moignard St, Manoora QLD 4870 Ph: (07) 4080 1000

www.wuchopperen.com

The Editorial Team invites submissions of stories and articles. These can be sent to: [email protected]