As a Pregnancy and Parenthood Support Mentor my role is to offer support to all our young mums and young mums-to-be, across Hyndburn, Ribble Valley and the Rossendale area. This support is offered to both girls who decide to stay in their own school or decide to attend the Oswaldtwistle school. The support I offer involves ensuring all our young people and their extended families receive the support and guidance that they need to ensure a happy and healthy transition into parenthood.
Educational and social inclusion are key to the support given to our families. Ensuring school attendance is monitored, guided and supported, and the correct social tools are given to aid our young people to become confident, empowered, healthy and happy parents and enjoy this special time together.
Many different programmes are offered to the families to help them with their specific needs, all my families are accessed individually and are instrumental in the decision making of the support they feel they would like to receive from myself as their Mentor
As a Pregnancy and Parenthood Mentor I also work very closely with other agencies, such as Health, Local Children Centre advisors, Housing referrals, Home Support Schemes and the Care-2-Learn child care agency, with this co-working, I can ensure all my families have all the necessary information available to them at all times and make referrals for them as needed.
My support, as a Mentor, is to work closely alongside all my families to allow them to feel supported, guided and listened to, in what sometimes can feel a very overwhelming and anxious time for both the young girls and their families. Also to ensure the pathways to further education and employment are offered and made clear and easily accessible. It is vital that all the young parents under our care are given as many opportunities as possible, supported and guided, and given the tools to equip them to make good choices and decisions that will enhance their lives in a positive way.