Conference Poster: The Supporting Birth Parents Project

This poster is split into six sections, which read as follows:

In the beginning

• Engagement with Birth Parents
• 1-2-1 meetings to capture lived experience
• Promoting the Project
• Sourcing safe spaces to meet
• Community engagement

Listen and learn

• Feeling heard
• New peer support group
• Individual support sessions
• Film co-produced with parents
• MSP for Public Health meets parents
• Support in HMP Grampian

Making a difference

• Parents report feeling less isolated
• Friendships formed
• Increased confidence and self esteem
• Phase 1 report and film shared
• Findings shared with professionals
• 2nd film co-produced with parents

Recommendations

• The creation of a dedicated Birth Parent Service offering impartial support
• The importance of trauma-informed practice
• Consistency of services and personnel
• Improved communication and the use of accessible language
• Improvements to Letterbox contact
• Need for more supportive assessments
• Improvements to final communication once court proceedings have concluded, acknowledging the emotional impact on the birth parent and signposting to support services

In our own words

It feels like I have finally found someone who understands what I’m going through.

Instead of just feeling exhausted, I am now feeling a sense of happiness.

I count down the days to Thursday when the group meets.

Hope for the future

• Dedicated services
• Sustainable funding
• Ongoing support
• Education and early intervention
• Systemic change
• Keep the promise