Supporting pregnant women with language needs

A project to help pregnant women develop their English language skills is being launched in the Better Start Bradford area. ESOL for Pregnancy, Delivered by Shipley College, is one of more than 20 projects that Better Start Bradford is commissioning and overseeing in the area to support parents-to-be and families with 0-3s to give their children the best possible start in life.

ESOL for Pregnancy will engage about 90 women each year through carefully-developed five-week courses. Delivered by an experienced ESOL tutor at Shipley College working alongside a midwife, the courses will help women to talk to their midwife and other health professionals and to take control their pregnancy and labour. It is being offered to women who might otherwise need an interpreter for antenatal appointments or delivery. The courses will cover: having a healthy pregnancy; check-ups with the midwife; signs of labour; birth and post-natal visits.

Research indicates that nearly a third (29%) of women who have babies in the Better Start Bradford area cannot speak or read English[1] and this can hamper their ability to engage with their midwife and key health care messages. which may have a knock-on effect on their ability to engage with midwifery and other important health services.

A further strand of the project, ESOL for Toddlers, will be launched next year. This will help parents with young children develop language skills together. Both strands of the project will be promoted through local services and groups, including being offered to refugees who are rehomed in the area. It is expected nearly 200 families will benefit altogether each year. The project will be fully evaluated as part of the wider Better Start Bradford programme, to ensure it delivers real benefit to children and the community, and to enable lessons to be shared with other areas.

Michaela Howell, programme director, Better Start Bradford, says: “ESOL for Pregnancy is one of a number of projects we will be commissioning, overseeing and evaluating to support families with language and communication skills. This is such an important part of our work. Language and communication development is critical for families laying a solid foundation for their child’s education, so they are all set to get off to a good start at school. It’s also essential to families engaging with health and support services and the community around them. Altogether this project aims to provide vital English language skills to nearly 200 families each year, but more than that it’s part of striving towards a wider goal of all our children being ready to start school, and our communities being stronger as a result.”

Diana Bird, head of sector for Essential Skills, Shipley College, says: “It’s exciting to be getting this project underway as part of the Better Start Bradford programme. There is a real need for ESOL for Pregnancy in this part of Bradford, where many mums-to-be have English language difficulties. This can make it hard for them to talk to midwives and other health professionals about their concerns, hopes and wishes for themselves and their baby during their pregnancy and birth. This course is all about empowering women to be able to ask questions, get the information they need, and feel confident and comfortable about becoming a mum.”

[1] Dickerson et al. BMC Public Health (2016) 16:711