The Outcomes Star

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:
1. Life Skills

    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
    • Blackpool Citizen’s Advice Bureau- Provides independent, impartial, confidential advice that is free at the point of access and helps people understand and exercise their rights and responsibilities
    Housing

2. Your health and wellbeing

    Antenatal Health
    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
    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
    Mental Health and Wellbeing
    • Active Blackpool- ‘Making Moves Programme’ A 12 week programme which includes nutrition education, lifestyle behaviour change and exercise. Adults who live in Blackpool with a BMI between 25 to 39.9 are eligible
    • 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
    • Blackpool Healthier Minds Service - Blackpool Healthier Minds Service, (formerly known as Supporting Minds), offers a range of free psychological therapies to people aged 16 and over. We provide the Improving Access to Psychological Therapy ( IAPT ) service for Blackpool and Cleveleys. There is access to self-referral form, podcasts, mindfulness and stress control courses
    • 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
    • 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)
    • Youtherapy offers counselling to young people aged 11-25 years

3. Looking after your baby
4. Your baby's development
6. Connecting with your baby

    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
    Skin to Skin Contact
     Managing your child’s behaviour

7. Relationships
8. Family and support network

    Support Networks
    Activities
    • Blackpool Library services –list of libraries and events going on within the library
    • Blackpool Family Hub Timetables- Timetables for the family hubs
    Local resources
    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

9. Goals and aspirations

    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 & 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.