Early Child Development Conference - Calderdale Family Hubs

The Importance of Early Child Development Conference

28th November 2024 9.30am to 4pm

Venue: The Box Below, The Orange Box, Halifax HX1 1AF (next door to the Piece Hall)

Learning Objectives:

Participants will increase their knowledge of -

· the latest guidance into pregnancy and early childhood experience and its importance for development and later life chances,

· the holistic needs of babies and new parents,

· positive early development and how to promote it,

· services available locally for infants and their parents

Suitable for:

Social work students, newly qualified social workers, Safeguarding and Early Help staff requesting updates on latest guidance and information on child development.

Agenda

9.00 – 9.30: Registration and networking

9.30- 9.45: Introduction to the day - Louise Ambler (Principal Child and Family Social Worker, Calderdale Council)

9.45 – 10.10: Aiming for the best start – The Calderdale Family Hubs programme and its aims - Vicky Cullen (Family Hubs Programme Manager)

10.15-10.25: The Calderdale offer to parents of young children – intro to the directory/website/ online and virtual services. Where to access the latest advice - Amanda Coates (Digital Lead for Family Hubs)

10.30 -11.00: From pregnancy onwards – the latest guidance regarding pregnancy, the health pathways, role of the midwifery service - Joanne Machon (Maternity Matron CHFT), Alison Pollock (Safeguarding Midwife CHFT)

11.00 – 11.15: Break

11.15 -12.00: The importance of the parent infant relationship, the health of the relationship with the baby and how this may impact on parental mental health. - Jane Turner (Consultant Parent Infant Psychotherapist, Perinatal Mental Health team)

12.00 – 12.30: The Kit – what exactly do new babies need? ‘Show and tell ‘of equipment? Covering different equipment, transport, sleeping equipment, safety issues. Where to get advice. Janet Smethurst (Team Leader, Calderdale Public Health Early Years’ Service and Safer Sleep Lead)

12.30 -13.15: Lunch Break

13.15 - 13.45: Latest infant feeding information and advice - Alison Walklate (Health Visitor and Infant Feeding Lead, Locala)

13.45 – 14.15: The role of Health Visitors, service pathways, important info for Social Workers to know, early child development - Janet Smethurst (Team Leader, Calderdale Public Health Early Years’ Service and Safer Sleep Lead), Lisa Delaney (Clinical Lead for Perinatal Mental Health, Calderdale Public Health Early Years’ Service)

14.15 – 14.45: The importance of Communication and Early Language development/Home Learning Environment – Susan Davies (SEND Specialist Co-ordinator - Early Years & Learning)

14.45 – 15.15: Break

15.15 - 15.45: Child Development Quiz - Bernadette Johansen (Project Coordinator Calderdale Relationships Matter)

15.45 – 16.00: Evaluation and close – Louise Ambler (Principal Child and Family Social Worker, Calderdale Council)

N.B. Light refreshments will be provided but participants must provide their own lunch – lots of places nearby.

The Calderdale Family Hubs Offer

Aiming for the best start – The Calderdale Family Hubs programme and its aims.

Vicky Cullen (Family Hubs Programme Manager)

Presentation

Calderdale Family Hubs Digital Offer

A look at www.calderdalefamilyhubs.org.uk and the resources available to families and professionals.

Amanda Coates (Digital Lead for Family Hubs)

Presentation

From Pregnancy Onwards

The latest guidance regarding pregnancy, the health pathways, role of the midwifery service.

Joanne Machon (Maternity Matron CHFT) & Alison Pollock (Safeguarding Midwife CHFT)

Presentation

The Importance of the Parent-Infant Relationship

The importance of the parent infant relationship, the health of the relationship with the baby and how this may impact on parental mental health.

Jane Turner (Consultant Parent Infant Psychotherapist, Perinatal Mental Health Team)

Presentation

The Kit

Keeping Baby Safe - what exactly do new babies need? Covering different equipment, transport, sleeping equipment, safety issues. Where to get advice.

Janet Smethurst (Team Leader, Calderdale Public Health Early Years’ Service and Safer Sleep Lead)

Presentation

Feeding Information & Advice

Latest infant feeding information and advice.

Alison Walklate (Health Visitor and Infant Feeding Lead, Locala)

Presentation

The Role of Health Visitors & Perinatal Mental Health

The role of Health Visitors, service pathways, important info for Social Workers to know.

Janet Smethurst (Team Leader, Calderdale Public Health Early Years’ Service and Safer Sleep Lead)

Perinatal Mental Health

Lisa Delaney (Clinical lead for Perinatal Mental Health, Calderdale Public Health Early Years’ Service)

Presentation - Role of the Health Visitor Presentation - Perinatal Mental Health

Home Learning Environment

The importance of Communication and Early Language development/Home learning environment.

Susan Davies (SEND Specialist Co-ordinator - Early Years & Learning)

Presentation

Presenter Biographies

Louise Ambler

Principal Child and Family Social Worker, Calderdale Council

I started in Calderdale as a social worker in 2010, moving to be a Practice Manager before my current role. I attended some excellent training around Parent Infant Relationships as a student which has stayed with me ever since and I am excited for how the day's training with a focus on early child development will support your practice.

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Amanda Coates

Digital Lead for Family Hubs

I am a digital enthusiast who thrives on connecting people and technology in pursuit of great user experiences, and strategic objectives. Through my work in local government and the non-profit sector in the UK and Canada, I thrive on collaborating with great people, surfacing data and information in creative ways to drive daily decision making and service delivery.

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Vicky Cullen

Family Hubs Programme Manager

I started my career working with children and young people in special schools, the community and local authority children’s homes. After completing my Diploma in Social work I became a probation officer, working with adults and older young people both in the community and the prison system.

Since then, I have spent several years working directly for the prison service on a resettlement project, then with Manchester City Council where I spent 12 years in a number of roles including strategic lead for community safety, a Greater Manchester wide lead role for organised crime and modern slavery as well as transformation lead for a joint health and social care initiative. These roles had a strong focus on partnership working, taking some early steps into integrating services and joining up delivery within complex areas of work. A core theme of all these roles has been early intervention, getting services and support right at an earlier stage to improve outcomes for people and communities.

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Jane Turner

Consultant Parent Infant Psychotherapist, Perinatal Mental Health team

I am a child and Adolescent psychotherapist and consultant parent infant psychotherapist. I work across South West Yorkshire and has been involved in the setting up of infant mental and Parent infant relationship teams over the last 10 years. In addition, I am a trustee of the parent infant foundation.

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Janet Smethurst

Team Leader, Calderdale Public Health Early Years’ Service and Safer Sleep Lead

My background is in Health Visiting, Midwifery and Nursing, starting out in 1981 at the age of 16. I have lived and worked in London and California before moving to Hebden Bridge in 2002. I have worked in Calderdale since 2003 as a Health Visitor in Todmorden. I have been a Team Leader in Calderdale Public Health Early Years’ Service since 2017. I manage a team of Health Visitors and Community Nursery Nurses in Central Halifax. I also lead on ‘Every Sleep a Safe Sleep’ which is the sudden unexpected death in infancy risk minimisation training in place across West Yorkshire.

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Joanne Machon

Maternity Matron Calderdale & Huddersfield Foundation Trust (CHFT)

I qualified as a midwife in 1995. I have had a varied and wonderful nursing and midwifery career to date and most of it has been at CHFT. My current role is as a maternity matron, and my areas are community, birth centre and specialist services. In my clinical midwifery role, I mainly worked in the community and birth centre setting.

For 8 years I was the teenage pregnancy midwife and the leader of the Eden Team. A maternity team that worked closely with the most vulnerable pregnant woman and their families. I have had a lot of experience working with the multi-disciplinary teams to ensure woman and their families receive the best and safest care we can provide.

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Alison Pollock

Safeguarding Midwife Calderdale & Huddersfield Foundation Trust (CHFT)

I qualified as a Nurse in 1999 and then as a Midwife in 2004.

My first Midwifery role was a community Midwife in fact I was the first newly qualified Midwife to commence directly into community. I was a community Midwife for 5 years before moving into the role as a Vulnerability Midwife caseloading women with complex social needs and vulnerability.

This is where my passion and experience for safeguarding came from. I then left Calderdale to work in safeguarding teams in Leeds, Rotherham and Manchester initially as a safeguarding advisor then as Named Midwife for Safeguarding and Named Nurse for safeguarding children before returning to Calderdale as the Named Midwife for Safeguarding.

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Lisa Delaney

Clinical Lead for Perinatal Mental Health, Calderdale Public Health Early Years’ Service

I qualified as a Registered General Nurse in 1989, then trained to be a Midwife in 1992. I worked as a midwife in Bradford for 10 years. In 2011 I qualified as a Health Visitor working in Calderdale.

I am part of the health Visiting team. In 2018 I began my current job, at that point it was a new role within the service redesign specification. Calderdale was the first area locally to have this identified specialism. I am not a mental health nurse. I work closely with specialist mental health services, family hubs and maternity services to ensure women with any mental/emotional health difficulties are identified early and receive the correct support. In many instances I am the first point of contact for professionals wishing to contact the health visitor. I ensure the health visitors deliver care that is supported by NICE guidance, and receive training and supervision as required.

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Alison Walklate

Health Visitor and Infant Feeding Lead, Locala

I am the Infant Feeding Lead for Locala supporting families (0-5) service. I have a passion and drive for infant feeding and want to make a difference to people. Since working for Locala I have been supported to attend training and conferences run by UNICEF BFI and The Breastfeeding Course London, which has increased my knowledge immensely.

I successfully gained qualification with the International Board of Lactation Consultants of Great Britain in April 2024.

I am responsible for the project management of the Baby Friendly Achieving Sustainability Award, and Locala were successful in maintaining their GOLD status following assessment in August 2024

I have successfully completed and qualified in Infant massage with the International Association of Infant Massage. This has proved useful in setting up the Nourish and Nurture Breastfeeding Support Groups.

I am training in Newborn Observation which enables me to share with families the wonderful abilities of newborn babies up to 3 months. Thus, helping parents to understand their baby’s style and temperament and helping to empower them to respond to their babies unique cues.

I am completing the Fatherhood Champion training and my aim on completion of the training is to ensure dads feel included in the infant feeding journey.

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Susan Davies

Home Learning and Early Language lead for Family Hubs and Early Years Specialist Inclusion Coordinator supporting workforce development through Dingley’s Promise

I am a qualified teacher who has taught for 30 years in North and East Halifax. My professional roles include Class Teacher, Foundation Stage Manager, Children’s Centre Teacher and Early Years Consultant.

I am passionate and enthusiastic about Early Years pedagogy; support, deliver and organise training to the sector on Early Years Education, Early Years Inclusion and Early Language Development. Additionally, I lead and drive evidenced based projects in schools and settings and these projects aim to support and nurture children’s most enduring educators, parents/carers.

I love gaining knowledge, as there is always so much to learn, but being able to share my experiences and what I knowledge I have with the Early Years workforce is a privilege and joy.

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Bernadette Johansen

Project Coordinator Calderdale Relationships Matter

I am a Registered Social Worker and qualified Teacher with extensive operational and management experience of children’s safeguarding in Calderdale and elsewhere in the Yorkshire region. Professional roles have included Principal Social Worker, Service Manager Quality Assurance, Safeguarding Children’s Board manager.

The programme promotes better relationships by providing a range of accessible resources to improve communication between parents with practical strategies to positively resolve conflict.

We recognise the impact on children when there is unresolved conflict as well as the enormous benefits to children when parents can provide good examples of how to manage their personal relationships. Online and face to face training is available to both parents and the practitioners who work with them.

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