Peer Support
&
Befriending
At Nurture the Borders we understand how isolating life with a baby can be especially in the Scottish Borders. There is a famous saying "it takes a village to raise a child" and we believe this to be very true! The transition to parenthood comes with many ups and downs and we know that if we have good support from people who have been through similar experiences and get it, the whole journey can become a lot easier.
This is why we set up our Peer Support Service nearly 10 years ago. Peer support makes a real difference to parental wellbeing and is shown to be extremely helpful for parents who are experiencing mental health challenges during the perinatal period.
We offer two types of Peer Support, our one-to-one parent befriending service which you can access by referring in for support and our peer support groups which are open to all parents with little ones under the age of two.
Here is a little more about them:
We understand that it can be difficult to leave the house with a baby and the thought of going along to a group to meet others can be really daunting, especially if you are experiencing mental health challenges.
Our Parent Befrienders are trained volunteers who offer one-to-one outreach support and so they come to you at home or in your local community which makes everything so much easier. They are all parents themselves and so understand the challenges pregnancy, birth and the early years can bring. They are a non -judgemental person you can talk to in confidence about how you feel and your situation
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Befrienders help parents in many ways including:
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Meeting with you regularly at home and in your community to provide emotional support. This can also help you be more emotionally available for your baby and other family.
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They can help you identify your strengths and goals and support you to build on these.
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They can support you to get out of the house to access activities, groups and services.
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They can listen confidentially to you about how you are feeling and support you to look at difficulties you might be facing.
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They can help you look at practical difficulties you might be facing and support you to find solutions to these including signposting to other services and organisations where appropriate.
Our lovely welcoming peer support groups are facilitated by our Perinatal Support Officers and trained volunteers. They offer a wonderful opportunity to connect with other Mums and Dads and help your little one to enhance their emotional, physical and developmental health.
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The groups offer a safe space for you to meet with other parents at the same stage, share experiences and get support. They also offer your baby the chance to be with other babies, helping their early socialisation.
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Our maternal peer support groups are age and stage appropriate and there is always a PSO on hand who can give advice and provide support. Our paternal peer support group meets in different locations around the Borders, where you can enjoy a buggy walk/ play park visit and other activities which vary week to week. Groups are open to all perinatal parents and are free to attend but you must book your space via our website.
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