bliss regional development
TRANSCRIPT
Journal of Neonatal Nursing (2012) 18, 54e58
www.elsevier.com/jneo
NEWSPOINT
Bliss regional development
Kellie StewartBliss, 9 Holyrood Street, London SE1 2EL, UK
KEYWORDSVolunteer-led support;Family support;Regional reach
E-mail address: [email protected]
Available online 8 February 2012
Background
As part of Bliss’ commitment to ensuring babiesborn premature or sick and their families receivethe very best care and support Bliss has recentlyundertaken a new programme of regional devel-opment work across the UK.
As part of our new five year strategy and fromconsultation with our service users, we haveseveral clear objectives around expanding ourservices and reach regionally.
They are to:
� Expand our regional reach and profile throughthe development of a range of volunteer-ledsupport, accessible to at least all neonatalintensive care and local neonatal units inmainland Britain
� Establish at least four regional offices by 2014� Make information and support available to allfamilies who have had a premature or sick babyfor at least 24 h in hospital.
With this in mind Bliss successfully secureda Department of Health Volunteering FundNational Award to fund a volunteering project forthree years. This volunteering fund was developedto directly support the government’s ‘Big Society’
k.
initiative and the Department of Health’s objec-tives by directly supporting the integration ofvolunteers and third sector organisations in thedelivery of key DH services.
This funding is direct recognition of both thestrong reputation of Bliss and the standard of vol-unteering support already offered by the organi-sation. This financial support will allow Bliss tobuild on the strong network of existing volunteerSupport Groups and Champions across England andScotland who directly support families in theirlocal communities.
The project will focus on the development of theorganisation’s volunteers through the establishmentof a regional presence in Birmingham, London,Manchester and Leeds and the ongoing support ofexisting Bliss Support Groups and Bliss Champions.
There will be three key areas of work, someexisting and some new.
The first area will expand on our existing BlissChampion network
Increasing Bliss’ presence within neonatal units andensuring parents receive information and supportwithin 24 h of entering the unit. Volunteers will giveat least two hours a week providing a regular pointof contactwith staff and parents within the unit andensuring Bliss materials are available.
Our objective is to ensure that there are 20 BlissChampions operating within a region at any one
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time and that 100per cent of units have at leasttwo active Bliss Champions.
We will also be building on our network FamilySupport Groups
These groups ensure families have access to post-discharge practical and emotional support withinthe community and will provide an ongoing supportnetwork for parents as their children grow up.Using the existing Family Support Group model,focus in this area will be on increasing the numberand coverage of these groups.
Our objective is to develop four to eight newgroups per region that meet regularly, each led byone or two volunteers and providing support to atleast 20 parents in each Region.
A new area of work within this programme is theBuddy Scheme
Providing one-to-one support for parents post-discharge to ensure they feel informed and sup-portedandhave readilyavailableadviceand support.Volunteerswill give at least twohours aweekandwillprovide one-to-one support to parents.
Our objective is to ensure that there are 30 trainedBuddies operating in each region over the nextthree years, with 16 active Buddies operating atany one time.
So far.Bliss’ first task has been to recruit a Head of
Regional Development and Volunteering who willdirectly manage the project and any new regional
staff. A Volunteer Support Network Co-ordinatorhas also been appointed. Previously a Bliss’ FamilySupport Officer, she will continue her roleproviding help and support to our Family SupportGroups and Bliss Champions. She will be supportingthe development of our national volunteeringpolicies, resources and standards and act as a keycontact for our new and existing regional offices.
Bliss’ Scotland Co-ordinator has also joined theteam. The Scottish office was set up in 2009 tosupport Bliss’ work in Scotland on the ground,meeting with staff on units and providing a localcontact to fundraisers and supporters. This rolewill also focus on growing our volunteer presencein Scotland around the three key areas outlinedabove as well as engaging key stakeholders.
The first new regional office has been confirmedfor Birmingham and a Regional Volunteering Co-ordinator has been appointed. This role will be thekey contact in the region, developing local volun-teering programmes, linking units and key stake-holders and acting as a signpost for other Blissinitiatives and services.
Bliss hopes that this project will be an expansionof our existing work and ultimately will providemore and better support to families of prematureand sick babies to empower them to provide thebest care to their babies. It will also allow us bettercommunication and connection with units aroundthe UK.
Formore informationabouthowwewill beworkingregionally andwith units contact Melissa Green, Headof Regional Development and Volunteering on 0207378 1122 or email [email protected].
doi:10.1016/j.jnn.2012.01.004
Babies are dying needlessly in the UK throughignorance and unavailability of tests routinelyoffered in other western countries
Available online 8 February 2012
A new opinion poll has found that most youngwomen support the introduction of a nationalscreening programme to detect Group B Strep inpregnant women.
A recent survey conducted by ComRes on behalfof Group B Strep Support demonstrated that while
more than half (54%) the women aged between 20and 35 surveyed had heard of group B Strep, only20% knew what it was.
The survey also showed that once young womenare made aware of the dangers of group B Strep inpregnancy the overwhelming majority believe that