Using ‘The pregnant woman within the global context’ Moving towards meeting the health and

social needs of pregnant asylum seeking and refugee women in the voluntary sector

Rose McCarthy, Refugee Council, Leeds, UK

Melanie Haith-Cooper, University of Bradford, UK

Dasha Pluto, Refugee Council, Leeds, UK

Jackie Ingham, Refugee Council, Leeds, UK

The Context

Who is Mel?Agenda for implementing PhD findings andpost doctoral research

Who are Rose, Dasha & Jackie?Volunteer health befriending network

The Pregnant Woman within the Global Context Model

Matched by cultural/ language background

Training examples

• Debriefing• Confidentiality• Boundaries• Listening skills• Empowerment • Asylum process• Dispelling myths• Difference in health

services between countries

• FGM• Mental health• Domestic violence• Social support• HIVListening,

supporting, signposting and accompanying

Volunteers, mainly AS&R mothers offer peer support

Meeting the needs through the Health Befriending Network

Peer support meetings

Relating the principles of the model to training

Jackie’s story

Impact on domestic abuse

• Model illustrates sources of stress for a couple• Nearly 50% of the women being supported by

befrienders had been through or were currently victims of domestic abuse

• Specialist services provided training• Women referred to support groups and safe houses

Impact on access to services

Dasha’s story

Impact on mental health

• Mental health training by experts• Collaboration with the experts • Sharing stories at peer support meetings• Learning from stories and how to refer for

counselling

“When I came here I was

depressed and she really helped

me. She took me to a counsellor

and made me feel myself” client

Impact on midwifery education

Student “Of all of the sessions I have partaken

in so far in my midwifery training, this one left

the biggest impression on me. I will never forget

the journeys of the women we were lucky

enough to be in the company of, or wiping away

tears as unimaginable experiences were recited

(with laughter and smiles!) by figures of utter

strength and determination.  I left the session

feeling awe for those who can find the strength

required to carry on through such desperate

times, and determination to never again show

allegiance to a system which only serves to

prolong them.”

http://www.cityofsanctuary.org/maternity

• Befrienders wanting to do more to improve maternity services• Maternity Stream formed• Maternity Service of Sanctuary award developed• The model can be used for services to learn about the award• The model used as a framework to develop 2 educational DVDs

https://vimeo.com/86176913

• Jackie’s reflection• More funding required !!!!

References

Haith-Cooper M, Bradshaw G (2013) Meeting the health and social needs of pregnant asylum seekers; midwifery students’ perspectives. Part 3; The pregnant woman within the global context”; an inclusive model for midwifery education to address the needs of recently arrived migrant women in the UK. Nurse Education Today. 33,9,1045–1050

McCarthy, R & Haith-Cooper, M (2013) Evaluating the impact of befriending for pregnant asylum seeking and refugee women. British Journal of Midwifery 21,6,404-409