Midwife Card Launch to Prevent Infant Deaths

Jun 7th, 2010 | By Chris Towland | Category: Burton Stuff, Info Snippets

A new scheme aimed at reducing the number of infant deaths in East Staffordshire has been launched by the borough council.

Health Visitors and midwives who regularly visit new or expectant mothers in all types of housing will now carry a pocket-sized version of the Housing Card, which contains a summary of modern housing standards such as how many bedrooms any household should have and the sorts of housing problems that might present risk to the health or safety of new and unborn babies.

The card is designed to help health professionals spot signs of poor or overcrowded housing when they come across it in their routine visits and covers the many different housing circumstances that Health Visitors and Midwives are likely to see.

In particular, where Health Visitors or Midwives find a problem, the card gives the phone numbers of the teams that can advise and support the household to move to appropriately-sized housing or get their existing housing improved to meet minimum standards.

For example, Health Visitors and Midwives can contact the East Staffordshire Housing Options Team which is run by Trent and Dove Housing. Housing Options provides advice and help to find suitable accommodation, and this service is available to any household regardless of who has provided the property they live in.

The Housing Card also contains the phone number of the Council’s own Housing Standards Team, which has enforcement powers to require housing providers, including all types of landlords, to bring the housing they rent out up to standard where housing is in poor repair, has poor heating or other serious problems.

Councillor Robert Hardwick, Deputy Leader for Regulatory Services, said: “The Council is determined to use its powers to the full to ensure that new and unborn babies and their families have safe and healthy places to live.

“The Housing Card is a practical step that will enable health professionals to work together with Housing teams much more closely, so that mothers of new or unborn babies in East Staffordshire can be sure they will be housed appropriately for their needs.”