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Update
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We have many brilliant comments, testimonials and evaluation reports - too many to include. We're not good at keeping this section up to date either .. It's on our to do list!
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Truro
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Review - April 2010
I feel that this course really helped me in so many different ways. It helped me to gain self-esteem and self confidence and helped me to believe in myself which I haven't done for a very long time. This course encouraged me to get up and move forward in my life rather than staying at the same old dead end. I have learnt you have to work for what you want, it won't just happen. I want to keep moving forward and not let my family slip back into its old ways.
Carla Wright
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Interview for Radio 1 Newsbeat - February 2010
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Interviews with young mums and dad Jack - you can 'listen again'. Enter Radio 1 Newsbeat, Jack and Rosie into a Search Engine and you will go straight to a short video of the interview.
Behind the scenes discussions:
"I feel so well prepared for labour, I know it will be hard but I feel confident"
"I want to breastfeed, I'm going to try"
"I've learnt so much and keep finding out more"
"I'm completely alone, leaving care, I just want some help for a year then I'm going to uni - I've had 5 offers deferred"
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SureStart Children's Centre - October 2009
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Parents with Prospects Provision - Q&As
"The course meets the needs of young people as parents and has made a difference to both the lives of themselves and their children."...
Has coming to the group made a differene to your life as a parent?
Yes, speak to my child differently
Increased confidence in parenting and knowledge
Information I need to know eg weaning
More aware of child's development and when to introduce activities to help this
Learning about appropriate toys/activities
What changes have you noticed in your chid?
My child is more confident
My child shares more easily
Inreased bonding
Increased child's creativity and imagination
Child doesn't mind being left and is less clingy
Health advice
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JHP Training
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I have achieved so much within the time I have been here. I first focused on getting all twelve units done and trying to get into college to take GCSE Maths and GCSE English at the weekend. I achieved both of these things.
I started to feel that I could achieve more as well as what I was already doing, so I decided to do a key skill as well. I suppose I could say I aimed high and I am now glad I did because I have nearly completed all of these things.
Since I have been here I have gained; a certificate in baby and toddler first aid, Life skills level 1 qualification, Key Skill in ICT and a place at college. I have achieved more here in the last six months than I gained in the last ten years of school.
The YMTB course enables you to gain so much - you gain a lot emotionally as well. It is a real advantage for young mums to put a stop to the negativity they receive and I hope the course runs for many years to come.
Alexandra Naomi Leach
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Learner comments - March 2009
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South West Regional Provision
"As I moved through the sections I learned a great deal about a number of things. Health and safety, bonding, routines etc it enabled me to change the things in my life that weren't working such as bedtimes and change things for the better". Abbey
"I feel the group is very educational it helped me gain confidence to be a mum and to be able to ask for help instead of worrying about what people think". Claire
"We have gained confidence with parenting" Emma
"Brilliant and Sound"! Kelly
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Testimonials from Learners and Tutors - Most recent April 2008
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Tutor Comment - Children's Centre, Gloucester
As the project continues I have had 15 learners progress from a level 1 qualification to a level 2 qualification. The course has really developed their personal achievement which they thought they may not be able to do.
Learner Comments
YMTB has given me more confidence in parenting
YMTB has given me a better understanding of Health & Safety. I found the bathing practice really helpful this gave me more confidence when I had to bath my baby
YMTB gave me information on labour & pain relief which helped me when choosing my pain relief options in my birth plan.
I have also learnt about really helpful tips and childcare.
Tutor Comments - Children's Centre, Cheltenham
The course is really good, easy to use and all of the information is there for you and the learner which is brilliant. It's easy to plan ahead because of the way it is set out, we get a Health Visitor, or Safety Officer for the relevant sections.
The learners are enjoying doing the work, we have a mum and step dad who have turned up every week, and it has given dad confidence and has really helped them. We want to get to grips with this when the Easter break is over; we're hoping to get a good group together.
Tutor Comment - Prospect Training Services, Gloucester
The YMTB pack provides space for informed discussion in a relaxed and friendly environment which encourages achievement and attendance. The learners all have great pride in building their portfolios; this is particularly evident in those who did not achieve in a school environment.
Learner Comments
"Attending young mums to be meant I made new friends with shared experiences, I feel more confident in my skills in looking after a new baby; this includes more awareness of childhood illness and immunisations.
I am more aware about sexual health and reliable contraception and also about money management and budgeting. I learnt lots of new skills, and I didn't realise how creative I could be".
Tutor comment - Children's Centre A, Somerset
The learners are really proud of their portfolios and take great care in presentation, some of them write out in rough before filling in the question pages. One learner doesn't write very well so she has typed everything up, it's been really good for her. Some have bought colouring pencils so they can colour in the sketches and decorate the work.
They are all saying they want to go back to education; some want to wait but they've all enjoyed learning and want the portfolios to show they can stick at something when they are interested in it.
Two girls were so keen to get their units that they attended Connexions for some sessions so they could get everything signed off.
Tutor Comments - Children's Centre B, Somerset
The resources are brilliant, so well put together and thought through, the back up is amazing so there are no worries for the tutors.
The learners say "It's wow, it's for us and in a way we understand. We feel someone finally listened to us and has realised what we need for information and help". "We want to know how to survive; it's for us and the baby developing together, this is it".
Tutor Comments - Children's Centre C, Somerset
We started this course in January 2008 and have had consistent attendance from our Young Parents and the feedback from them has been very positive. We have good relationships with Health Visitors, Connexions and Family Nurse these agencies are aware of the course and are actively engaging with young parents to come to the course in the future.
Comments from professionals
"I came to the group with a young parent she was really nervous but as soon as another parent started talking about her fears she relaxed and did join in. In the car taking her home she said how much she had enjoyed the session and was keen to come back" - Connexions worker
"It is great that this group is here- I tell all my families about it and will bring them here if that would help them to feel happy to come" - Family Nurse
"I find the content of the course and the way it is set out helps with discussion. The group is getting on well and there is great communication going on between them all. Friendships are developing too" - Group Leader.
Comments from Learners
"I play with my son more. And I have learned about safety" - Jade
"I am not letting him get away with stuff. We are playing more and he is talking to me at home. He is playing more with the children in the group because there are only a few of them he can join in and not feel scared" - Terri.
"I communicate with him and we play" - Hayley
"The sessions are interesting and I am learning to bond better with my kids. Better safety around the home" - Laura
Tutor Comments - Children's Centre A, Dorset
This is a really successful programme and the response from new parents and parents to be has been great. I think the format is easy to use with a really clear layout and good resources; backup from NCLP is also very good. It is fantastic that this is an assessed course. This is what gets learners through the door, they come to get the qualification but they get so much more out of it. "I'm really loving doing this".
Learner Comments
A dad-to-be attending the course said "I think there is a much better chance of me staying involved with the baby because I've done this course. I didn't think I could do anything, I'm really feeling involved" This young man is going to the maternity unit for the YMTB visit and he now feels he'll be helpful during the birth.
Two learners are now attending who said they love the course but would never have dared to attend anything before.
All the learners say they are learning more than they thought they would.
New parents working through unit 4 (which includes labour and delivery) said they really wished they'd done the unit before their labour. They said they would have had much more confidence and control. They said the mums-to-be were really lucky to do it before hand.
Tutor Comments - Children's Centre B, Dorset
The materials are fantastic this has given us a great structure to work round, flexibility is paramount because of the user group; they dip in and out of sessions. We were in touch with two young mums who didn't want to come to young parents but are now attending because they want to do YMTB
We are working with the YMTB course to begin with and will move on to the Parents with Prospects once we are more confident with everything. We are engaging with new young mums with young babies, the material is relevant and engaging. The group really regret that they did not have the opportunity to do the antenatal units before their babies were born, midwives are so impressed and think everyone should be able to do this course.
Learner comments
One learner was upset when she just couldn't keep up with the regime of the 6th form after her baby was born. She is so happy she is able to YMTB and feels she is learning and engaged. She wants to go on the PWP course.
We have a mum to be, she was 16 a week ago, she is 26 weeks pregnant and was panic stricken. She is doing YMTB with the midwife and it is really helping her. Her own mum is helping her to go through the work at home too. She says that it's really "helping us to get our heads round it all".
Tutor comments - Nacro, Poole
The YMTB and PwP resources are fantastic; everything is there to deliver the courses and to deliver them well. We don't have to spend time developing and updating material. It's accessible and quick for the tutor and the quality assessment is all there too.
Learners are very positive; the folders are extremely well received. They say the information is exactly what they want and it is relevant and interesting.
Tutor Comments - Youth Project, Weymouth
The packs are fantastic, they look so professional, as a tutor they make it so easy to deliver. The midwives are really impressed, they fight to work with the YMTB girls because they are so well informed and make the whole delivery so much better. The support from NCLP is really good, it's so important to the tutors to know there is someone really helpful at the end of the phone.
Tutor Comments - Youth Centre, Devon
The Parents with Prospects resources are excellent. They are so easy for me as a tutor to use. After the session the learners have lunch and they talk about what they have done, I've heard comments "I feel I've really learnt something worthwhile today".
They love the packs, they find the writing easy to understand and everything is relevant to them and what they want to know. They say it's good to be able to do something educational about their baby. They want to get a 'proper qualification' and it makes it worthwhile because they really need the information.
Three of the group have finished the three mandatory units and they now want to go on and do the rest of the units to complete the whole award.
Tutor Comments - Children's Centre, Devon
The resources are great, fantastic. Having units sectioned in easy to use and understand bite sized chunks makes it so user friendly. The learners soon get enrolled and enjoy getting going. The work is motivating and learners' attendance is excellent. There is a holiday next week and the learners have asked if they can come in on their day off.
The way the pack is designed and put together is motivating. Some learners have literacy needs but they can still cope as we do lots of group work and reading together.
Learner Comments
One learner said that the course had been so good and she had enjoyed the work so much she has now applied and is going to start college in September. She wouldn't have thought of doing so without this course.
Lots of learners have not engaged in education for years and this is the first time, they are now back being engaged and are having positive learning experiences. They have something to focus on and are making friends. This group now meets for lunch with the children; it's made a real difference.
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Disc Ltd - May 2008
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Kelly "A very happy student from Young Mums to Be"
When connexions told me about this course I wasn't sure I wanted to do it because the last course I did was at college and really knocked my confidence but I decided to give it a go. When I had my daughter it was really overwhelming and there has been a time when I have tried things from the course with my daughter and they have worked.
I would recommend the course to any young mum to be, I have all my confidence back and my relationship is better with my partner and daughter.
Sharna
When I first started the ymtb course it was nothing like I imagined it to be. As a parent already, I thought I knew most things, but after a few weeks on the course I realised there were a lot of things I didn't know. I have learnt a lot of things about breastfeeding, money management and further education. I have enjoyed coming on this course and meeting new friends who are in the same situation as me.
Jade
I've learnt a lot since I've been on the course and it was also nice meeting new people in the same situation. I really enjoyed the course and would advise any young mum to be to join.
Laura
Doing the ymtb course has prepared me for motherhood, and any queries I had have been answered. I loved making my baby book and pillow as I could imagine using them with my baby. I also enjoyed the relaxation techniques as I used them at home when I couldn't sleep. I'd advise any other pregnant teenagers to take this course as you become more confident in your own ability to be a mum.
This course is a great way to prove to people how serious you are about becoming a mother and gives you something to do throughout your pregnancy that seems to last forever.
Georgina
The positive thinking in Unit 1 made me feel better about myself; Unit 3 was really good as I enjoyed making my baby book. I did get worried in Unit 4 when I realised labour was going to hurt, then we did about relaxation and positions for labour these made me feel 100% better. Money is always an issue but Unit 6 just helps so much. I am convinced I will spend my money wisely. I now know what I would like to do in the future thanks to this course, it helped me very much and I would advise all young mums to take part.
Shareen
I would recommend the ymtb course to teenagers I know are pregnant because I feel you learn a lot from this course, it is a great way to make friends and it helps you to become a better mother. You can learn things you're not sure about and there is always someone you can talk to. I find this course offers a lot more than a qualification.
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JHP Birmingham - August 2008
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Kayleigh
I am 17 years old and have been on the Young Mums To Be course for a while now and I have learnt a great deal about being a mom and the responsibilities of being a parent.
The two units which I enjoyed the most would have to be Unit 12 and 4. I have picked Unit 12 as this unit I planned my future with childcare, work and education. I also learnt about child's play, illness and safety as a child grows up which I feel will be 100% useful for me or any mother and father.
There is nothing from this course that I feel was a waste of time to learn and I would definately recommend this course to all young mums to be.
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Prospect Training - Gloucester
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Cara Carpenter
This course has been informative and prepared me for what's to come in childbirth and looking after myself and my baby.
As well as getting me prepared for being a new mum, it's taught me other things such as budgeting and planning ahead in order to have a stable and healthy lifestyle for myself and my baby.
I would like to thank the YMTB group for helping me turn into a young confident mum to be. Thanks to you I can't wait to be a mum now, and put all things I've been taught to the test.
Thank-You
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The YMTB course
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Verity Clarke - NACRO Peterborough.
The YMTB course has given me confidence to succeed by myself. It has helped me prepare myself for all aspects of being a mother, from labour to budgeting and education!! I have never enjoyed any work as much as this. The YMTB course has encouraged me to be positive about situations that seem difficult because you always come out at the other end.
I want to stay positive and be a good mum, work towards getting qualifications, complete my courses at Starriford College, achieve grade A-C in Maths and English, and head towards a career in beauty therapy.
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YMCA Training Families Matter Project, Castle Hill Early Years Centre, New Addington
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My reading and writing and spelling was not good because I did not have anything to write or educate me. I came to Families Matter to help me with money and unwind and K..... in the creche was fun for him.
My reading got better and now I am near the end I am trying to educate myself more. I will be ready for college when K.... is a year old. I would like to stay here longer. I did not think of college before coming here. I will really miss Young Mums To Be, my life is so much better now.
YMTB Learner.
The course itself is wonderful; I have gained a lot of knowledge about pregnancy and parenthood and enjoyed every task I had to do because the work was made so enjoyable to complete.
YMTB Learner.
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Restarting my veterinary course
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Ashley Burge - Prospect Training Services, Gloucester
Since leaving the ymtb course I have had my gorgeous little boy Aaron James. I have also restarted my veterinary course (National Course in Animal Management). I never thought it would be possible to have a child and a career as well, but I guess it is and I'm doing it!
I am very glad I decided to continue my college course, it will take me longer because I am part-time now but I know it will be worth it in the long run and my son will have a mum to be proud of and then I will definately be proud of myself.
Thank you again for all your help, Aaron is a very happy baby at eleven weeks, "talking" to me, smiling and nearly laughing!
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My Experience at YMTB
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Akeeza Toorabally - YMTB Woodgreen
I was going through emotional issues which got me down but the fact that I had the extra support from YMTB tutors and students helped me through some troubled times. I worked so hard on each unit and the numeracy Key Skill, which I achieved and I enjoyed doing the work.
I am now a lot more relaxed and confident in the work I produce and eveything I do and I have completed all my units.
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Tilisha Bristol YMCA Training
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'The staff don't just do the pregnancy course work, we go to social security, we go on shopping trips. I was terrified when I came here now I feel confident to be a mum'
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Kerry Taylor-Bright Prospects Gloucester
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I found it difficult to stop smoking and tried many times before I got pregnant. I knew I had to do it for my baby so I decided to stop altogether. I didn't need patches but I had support from Anabel (Smoking cessation midwife) and Sally (Tutor) at YMTB and have achieved my Stop Smoking Certificate.
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Miriam Williams JHP Training Birmingham
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'Being part of this YMTB course has been a very positive part of my life and I have enjoyed every aspect of it. I started this course with a handful of knowledge and I know that I am going to be leaving with buckets full of knowledge and information about health in my pregnancy'
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Jenna Stoker Honeypot Charity New Forest
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'I have learned so much in such a short time I never thought it would have been possible to cover this much work. If someone had said to me a few weeks ago I would have completed 3 units of a NVQ I would never thought it could be done'.
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Ashfield School Re-integration Unit Nottingham
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We have found the YMTB pack to be very well structured and comprehensive, forming an excellent basis for relevant education in this area. The young mums-to-be have readily engaged in the learning process during sessions and the materials are both attractive and accessible.
Of the girls accessing the project to date, all have remained in education to complete their studies and of these 2 have gone on to University; one now in her 2nd year studying Psychology at Derby and the other in her 1st year at Nottingham studying Mental Health Nursing. A 3rd young mum is studying HND computing at our college, another studying Childcare within the 6th form. Two young mums are now working part-time to support their families.
Without exception it has been amazing to witness the transformation of typically nervous, frightened girls facing an uncertain future (often separated from their child's father and receiving little in the way of family support); into confident, assertive young women who have built a new network and are carving their own niche within society.
Baroness Gould an advocate of children's rights and parenting education visited the project recently and was 'enormously impressed'.
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My comments on the YMTB course......
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NINA LEWIS - BEDFORD FOYER
Before I started the course I didn't know that much about babies and the best way to bring them up. Now after doing nearly all of the course I feel like I can bring my baby up in the best way I possibly can and I know that when anyone gives me advice I already know the best way I think of doing it.
I have never started and actually finished anything in my life and I feel very proud of myself that I have stuck at this course right till the end for me and my baby.
I am glad that there is this course for young mums because many of them may feel or be alone and here is a very good place to meet others in a similar situation to you.
I enjoyed doing unit 3, especially unit 5 because I am really proud of the toy I made for my baby. Unit 6 was hard but I learnt a lot about money management which I thought I needed help with.
Unit 10 I also enjoyed I liked the application to be a parent part I thought that was funny. Unit 11 was really hard for me because I don't really know what I am good at I haven't got a lot of experience but I got through it and I found out some of my good qualities. Altogether I enjoyed the whole course, meeting new people and learning new things it has contributed to the kind of mother I will be in the future
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NACRO Training video
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A video clip of NACRO training
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(Please click the link, this will download the video clip to your computer and will automatically start playing)
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