Clinical

Planning, implementing and evaluating a parent education programme

This article describes the multidisciplinary development of a parent education programme in north England. A six-week programme of five antenatal sessions and one postnatal session was designed and piloted in six areas in West Yorkshire. Facilitators worked in pairs and comprised health visitors, midwives and nursery nurses. Each group of parents was supported by a volunteer mother from a local peer support and signposting service.

A comprehensive evaluation of the pilot was undertaken, with feedback obtained from the facilitators and the participants before and after their babies were born. Parental satisfaction with the programme was high. The facilitators enjoyed providing a participative programme based on attendees' strengths and working with colleagues from other disciplines.

Jobs