Useful improvement technologies

Reducing child poverty is vital. In Liverpool, around 63% of the population live in the top 20% most deprived areas in England, according to data from Liverpool City Council. Three in every ten children under 16 live in poverty.*

We developed the Best for Baby Too model to try and alleviate the worst impacts of poverty. We have tested it out and over three years we supported approximately 1,000 families a year.

Debbie Nolan’s Citizens Advice on Prescription team worked with staff in primary and community care, and secondary care, to identify patients in need of a helping hand. They set up the perinatal project, working with health visitors and midwives to identify mothers who faced challenges relating to deprivation, and described the difference that this can make in terms of reducing anxiety, as well as helping increase household income.

Both physical and mental health are impacted by deprivation and the service provides evidence that interventions can help. A key priority has been to increase referrals – the more women who get support, the better the outcomes for baby and mother, with referrals steadily increasing from all service areas.

The perinatal service was set up to increase access for households with children. Perinatal link workers tap into different referral sources, including midwifes – and other voluntary sector services. Other groups gaining significantly greater access to the service included older people (50-65), younger women and people from BAME communities.

Since 2018, people have been referred to the service via four pathways – Citizens Advice on Prescription; link workers through Primary Care Networks; perinatal services and secondary care services. Referrals have risen from 500 per month to 1,000 monthly more recently.

The University of Liverpool has created qualitative research on the project, based on semi-structured interviews with people using Citizens Advice on Prescription.

Findings confirm that:

  • the service is hitting the right target and meeting the right needs
  • clients trust the service and appreciate clear explanations of what is available
  • there are many benefits, such as reduction in anxiety and increase in self-confidence and reliance, as well as improvements to household income and material circumstances.

“Citizens Advice has saved my life” said a research participant.

*https://phar.liverpool.gov.uk/liverpools-priorities-and-challenges/

Referrals have risen from 500 per month to 1,000 monthly more recently