Cumbria has been selected to take part in the rollout of a national pilot programme aimed at supporting vulnerable parents and improving the health and social outcomes of children and their families.
The Family Nurse Partnership provides intensive, health visitor-led home visiting for vulnerable first time young parents which involves family nurses visiting young, disadvantaged young parents from early pregnancy until the child is two years old.
The scheme has already been trialled at 10 pilot sites around the country since being launched in October 2007. It has now been announced that Cumbria has been successful in its bid to be selected as one of 20 new pilot areas as part of an expansion programme.
The expansion of the Family Nurse Partnership scheme will also be delivered through children's centres and there has been great local interest in this programme, with over 50 Primary Care Trusts and local authorities across the country wanting to take part.
In Cumbria the Family Nurse Partnership will be up and running by September 2008 and will provide support for 100 families in the first year.
Anne Sheppard, Manager for Emotional Wellbeing at Cumbria County Council's children's services department, said:
"The scheme provides tailored and sustained support to young and vulnerable families. It helps parents build on their strengths to achieve their potential and give children the best possible start in life. It shows how Cumbria is at the forefront of effective and innovative ways of supporting families right from the start."
Anne Ridgway, Cumbria PCT's Director of Young People's Health, said:
"By being selected for this national pilot, our nurses will be able to build closer, more supportive relationships with families and also guide inexperienced teenagers to adopt healthier lifestyles. It will help vulnerable first-time parents improve their parenting skills and also become self-sufficient. The real winners are the young children getting a better family life as a result of this."
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Media enquiries to Gareth Cosslett, News Manager on 01228 606332
Notes
The new test sites chosen for the Family Nurse Partnership Programme are Sunderland, Cumbria, Liverpool, Blackpool, Leeds, Hull, Nottingham, Calderdale, Stockport, South Birmingham, Coventry, North East Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Islington, Lambeth, Hastings and Rother, Milton Keynes, Plymouth, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and Southampton.