NSPCC launches campaign to support ‘overwhelmed’ new lockdown parents in South Yorkshire

A new South Yorkshire campaign has been launched to support new parents who may be struggling at home alone in the current health crisis.
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‘Handle with Care’ aims to provide coping techniques, tips and advice to new parents, at a time when the usual support networks - such as family, friends, and community baby groups - have all been disrupted.

The campaign is led by the NSPCC, and has been launched in Barnsley in conjunction with Barnsley Council and Barnsley Hospital - and the charity has revealed it is hoping to launch it in other towns and cities in the region in the future.

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“Being a new parent is stressful to begin with,” said Helen Westerman, head of campaigns at the NSPCC.

Helen Westerman, NSPCCHelen Westerman, NSPCC
Helen Westerman, NSPCC

“Couple that with issues with poverty, or maybe difficulties in relationships, or drug and alcohol issues - and then throw lockdown in the mix!

“If you’re spending lockdown in a one-bedroom flat, with no outdoor space, a lack of sleep, and maybe your mental health has taken a hit, or your anxiety levels are off the charts from watching the news 24/7, it’s only going to make things harder.”

The new campaign, which launched on May 13, aims to support parents, over the next twelve weeks, in safe ways of holding and caring for a baby, promoting mental well-being, leading onto techniques for building baby’s brain and nurturing familial bonds.

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Helen said: “Some parents or carers may lose control and shake their baby in a moment of anger or frustration, especially if the baby cries a lot or has problems feeding.

“Many don’t realise the damage that shaking can do.

“Remember baby doesn’t cry on purpose to upset you, and you don’t have to go through it alone.

“We all need some extra help during these difficult times and Handle with Care aims to provide that help, in a non-judgemental way, for any parent who feels overwhelmed.”

In the first phase of the campaign, Handle with Care booklets, authored by the NSPCC, will be distributed to all new parents in Barnsley.

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Helen added: “These booklets aim to give parents the tools they need to manage things when they’re not going quite the way you’d expected them to go, and reminds parents to be mindful that their baby or toddler is still very vulnerable.

“We know that non-accidental injuries in children don’t always come from calculated intention, but rather from parents getting frustrated or overwhelmed.

“We need to reduce the number of children being harmed in this way.”

Barnsley Council is posting information from the campaign - tips, advice, and guidance - on its social media pages where it can be accessed by anyone at any time.

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“We all reach breaking point sometimes, the important thing to remember is that - even in lockdown - there’s help out there,” Helen added.

“This really can apply to absolutely anybody. Remember, you’re not alone.”