More than 530 young families have received specialist support from the Family Nurse Partnership in Plymouth since it was set up in 2008.
It is an intensive support programme for girls and women up to age 19 who are pregnant and are sometimes facing a range of difficult circumstances. This could be homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction or mental health issues.
Family Nurses work alongside young parents to support their transition to parenthood. They begin working with most before their 16th week of pregnancy and continue until their baby reaches two years old.
The programme is bespoke and adapted to meet the individual needs of each parent. Family Nurses focus on every aspect of parenting, from what to expect in pregnancy, infancy and toddlerhood to breastfeeding, stopping smoking, healthy relationships, managing minor illness, reducing accidents, and supporting child development.
Gabbie with her son Theo
“Before Theo, I was constantly stoned and then it got to harsher stuff. With the help of the Family Nurse Partnership, there was this massive future in front of my face, and I could see up to ten years ahead of me.”
Gabbie from Plymouth had a difficult childhood. When she was four years old, she had encephalitis which is a serious brain inflammation.
She spent years learning to walk again and sometimes still has difficulty getting around.
Gabbie dropped out of university and found out she was pregnant when she was 19 years old. At that time, she was living with her family in a homeless shelter in Devonport. She had two jobs but was spending her wages on drugs.
That is when she met Family Nurse Vicki Spree. She supported her to live a healthy lifestyle which started with moving into a mother and baby unit in Greenbank. She lived there for nine months before getting a rented flat in Plymouth.
Family Nurse Vicki Spree
Vicki recalls: “When Gabbie got pregnant, she just decided that was it. She stopped everything that she was doing that would have had an impact on the baby and herself.
“She has proven herself time and time again to be a safe, loving parent. Gabbie is excited about every stage of her baby’s development, and she puts everything in to enhance that development. I am so proud of her.”
Gabbie, now 21, lives with Theo in Devonport. She said: “I actually enjoy waking up in the mornings. I enjoy getting dressed. I enjoy going out. I enjoy everything I never used to enjoy.
“When Vicki says, ‘I’m a good mum,’ it makes me feel very proud because obviously I didn’t have the role model that you’re supposed to have. And she says that I’ve definitely broken the cycle of my family, which makes me even more happy. All I wanted for Theo was to be a good mum to him.”
Gabbie is one of hundreds of parents who have been supported by the Family Nurse Partnership over the last 17 years.
Family Nurse Partnership 17 year celebration
The team welcomed her and other parents back for a celebration event at Foulston Park in Devonport to commemorate the milestone.
The Family Nurse Partnership is a part of the Public Health Nursing Service within Livewell Southwest’s Children, Young People and Family Health Service.
Plymouth Lord Mayor Kathy Watkin and Alderman Dr. John Mahony with the Family Nurse Partnership Team
Supervisor Fay Cook said: “It is hard being teenager and it is even harder being a pregnant teenager. If you think about public health in terms of hospital treatment, we are like the intensive care of the Public Health Nursing Service. To have that one person that you see regularly and build a therapeutic relationship with, who can help you to set your goals and achieve your aspirations, is so important. The changes made by many of our young parents are exceptional and inspirational. They demonstrate the learning from the FNP programme in their parenting styles and in the way they manage their life and relationships.
“It is a fantastic feeling knowing that you have helped so many families since we started in 2008, helping young people become the very best parents they can be for their babies.”
For more information about the team https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/family-nurse-partnership
