We knew that there was a high level of child poverty, really across the UK actually, and
in certain communities and we wanted to reduce the levels of poverty in these communities.
We also knew that there was a high level of under-claiming of benefits as well. We wanted
to explore that.
Right back in the early days when we were focussed purely on midwifery services, we
pulled together a partnership with senior health colleagues and we also had a range
of colleagues from money matters. Both the manager and the practitioners. So I think
having that group of folk, as I said at different levels including the senior manager level,
has really helped to ensure that the work is embedded and it's embedded within health
because you need that leadership to make sure that it continues
My role within the workforce development of healthier wealthier children is to go out
to health visiting and mid-wifery teams and give them information on the healthier wealthier
children programme and give them background about child poverty and the child poverty
act and why it is that this programme has come around. I do this in conjunction with
the Healthier Wealthier Children Income advisor who will come with me and she describes some
case studies of families she's seen, how she's helped them and the income that she's managed
to help them maximise and if there's been debt, she's helped minimise the debt as well.
Money worries are an important question in the initial assessment of a pregnant woman.
If a pregnant woman comes to along to the health centre at say 8 or 9 weeks of pregnancy,
one of the first questions she's asked is "Do you have money worries?"
The Healthier Wealthier Children project is aimed at reducing child poverty. We look to
see how we can maximise people's incomes, we look to see how we can deal with debts.
At any appointment, at any point in the pregnancy or following the birth, the midwife or the
health visitor should be asking if they have any worries, any financial worries at all.
Every pregnant woman we come across we'll routinely discuss the finances with them.
We'll ask them at their booking visit if they need any further advice on their finances,
benefits or housing issues and regardless of whether they say yes or no, we will also
offer to pass their details onto the money advice service.
Initially when the health visitors or midwives were dealing with families they didn't really
know how to ask that question. Like how to you ask someone about financial problems,
you don't want to be too forceful on it. A question card was basically developed and
it made it easier then for the health visitors and midwives to actually ask the question
so it was a wee prompt for them.
We're asking families a lot of questions because we're building a picture of the family's ability
to parent and one of the things we do ask is there employment status. So with that comes
an idea of finances and that's the opportunity I use, I find the easiest opportunity, to
ask them if they have any money worries.
We need to focus our attention on things that will make a difference to household income
and part of that is about making sure that families can access all the benefits and entitlements
that they're due. And we know that not everyone does that so there is a real need for us to
get to families at the earliest possible stage, ideally from pregnancy and work with them
to make sure we're supporting their financial well-being.
This was a project that started from a tiny idea, this £3.10 food voucher a week, but
it grew into this massive impact on household income. £4,000 into the pockets of a pregnant
woman and that household has a huge impact. It allows them to not worry about making a
decision about eating or heating.
I mean if you just take like a standard phone call, we would have obviously if it was someone
having a first baby, we would have like their £20.70, which is a week for their first child.
We would have £53 a week for their Child Tax Credits which is now the Child element
through Universal Credit. They could possibly have their Healthy start voucher, £3.10 a
week. They could have Sure Start Maternity Grant, £500 but going up to £600 soon.
So when we mention the Best Start Grant I would encourage woman to consider whether
they may be entitled to the Pregnancy and Baby payment which they can apply for from
after 24 weeks.
A midwife is very busy like all health care workers are. They don't really have time to
fill out lots of information and we turned a tick in the woman's electronic records about
money worries into a referral to welfare rights advisors.
I find it really beneficial to have this service because previously woman would be asking us
questions about what they are entitled to and we don't always have the up-to-date information.
Things change so much so it's actually a relief to have this service so that you're woman
are getting the most up-to-date information and they're going to get help with their finances.
It's so important for them to do that for their health and for the health of their baby as well.