Family Nurse Partnership

Our Family Nurse Partnership™ (FNP) is a programme offered to you and your family if you are a first-time mum aged 19 years and under. The programme begins in early pregnancy and we focus on the future health and wellbeing of your child.

The family nurses who deliver our programme come from a variety of professional backgrounds, including health visiting and midwifery. They complete further education and training at an advanced level to equip them for the new role.

We have three main goals - to improve:

• antenatal health and birth outcomes

• child health and development

• parents' economic self-sufficiency.

The programme is designed to highlight your strengths and encourages you to fulfil your aspirations for your baby and yourself. A pattern of weekly and fortnightly visits begins early in pregnancy and continues until your child's second birthday.

The nurses use programme guidelines, materials and practical activities to work with you, as well as your child's father and wider family, to understand your baby, making changes to your behaviour, developing emotionally and building positive relationships.

The FNP programme, which has been developed over 40 years, has been show to have consistent short and long-term benefits for children and families. These include:

• reductions in smoking in pregnancy

• longer gaps between and fewer further births

• fewer accidents

• reduction in child abuse and neglect

• better language development in children

• increases in employment