FAMILIES FOR ALL CHILDREN
(Preventing babies being abandoned in Belarus)

Headline feedback from inspection visit January 2007

1.       Overall

The Inspectors were impressed with:

-                      the enthusiasm and commitment of everyone to whom they had spoken;

-                      the hospitality and welcome;

-                      the briefing pack and itinerary – it had been helpful to have a structure and will be useful as a reference point when it comes to writing the full report;

-                      the project was achieving what it had set out to do;

-                      in spite of the difficulties associated with obtaining quantitative evidence there was considerable qualitative and anecdotal evidence of change;

-                      the Director of Borovliani Regional General hospital had noted that there were now no abandoned babies in her hospital. (The 7 babies currently in the baby unit had been the subject of court proceedings to deprive the parents of their rights).

Everyone associated with the project had ‘made a difference’.  The Inspectors were particularly impressed by the parent reference group and the extent to which they had clearly been empowered by being involved in the project.  They commented on

-                      the information poster

-                      the befriending system;

-                      the self confidence of the parents;

-                      the parents’ positive and enthusiastic attitude.

The Inspectors were aware that the project workers had been fundamental to achieving success.  It had taken time for them to settle in to the role and to build enough experience and confidence, but they were now promoting the project to Statutory Centres throughout the country.   Both were enthusiastic and will sustain the aspirations of the project when the project comes to an end and they move on to another job.

The fostering network had been established and used successfully for short term placements to give mothers time to ‘sort themselves out’.  Legislation and regulation are still in their infancy but a model of working has been established.

An exhibition of publications and newspaper articles about the project together with a list of television and radio appearances were used as a proxy to illustrate ‘making a difference’.

-                      They were using the training in their practice. 

-                      Materials had been promoted at conferences

-                      The training handbooks were used as reference documents

-                      Professionals from some centres had, or were proposing to, set up parent groups.

-                      Courses on Grief and Loss, Assessment and Care Planning, and Play were identified as particularly helpful.

-                      A Russian project has provided one very effective course.

New parents had been interviewed and commented positively on the support and information received from the project workers.  The information had been empowering and helpful.

The project is fully sustainable.  Regions in which seminars given by the project workers have indicated the action they will be taking to work with their local maternity hospitals to support mothers who have indicated a wish to abandon whether or not the baby is disabled.   Centres with which the project workers have had contact have indicated their enthusiasm for promoting the aspirations of the project even when funding comes to an end.

Awareness has been raised through all the media exposure.

Publications have provided a permanent resource for the country.

The Inspectors would have preferred to have seen Dr Sivuha at the end of the visit rather than at the beginning.  They wondered about whether monitoring systems were in place to gather information on progress during the duration of the project.  They would have liked some thought to be given on how the long-term impact might be evaluated? 

The difficulty in obtaining data was noted

They noted the achievements of the project notwithstanding the challenging political environment

The multi-agency Steering Group established in the initial stages of the project had demonstrated an effective way of working.

Well done everyone!