Who is in the team?

Sue Brook: Specialist Health Visitor for Substance Misuse

I am a qualified nurse, midwife and health visitor and have worked with children, families and young people in the community for the past 19 years. Since April 2006, I have had the opportunity to develop the role of the Specialist Health Visitor within the Wakefield Integrated Substance Misuse Services offering advice and support to colleagues and service users. I have recently been joined by Claire Thorpe and look forward to expanding the services that are presently available.

Claire: Specialist Social Worker for Substance Misuse

I have worked within social care since 1997 initially working with teenagers in a residential setting before qualifying as a social worker in 2006. From 2006 until 2009 I worked for Family Services working with children both in the care of the Local Authority and their families. In November 2009 I began my current post as the Specialist Social Worker for WISMS. Alongside Caroline Weldon and Sue Brook we create the Family Support Team.

Caroline Weldon: Specialist Midwife

As the specialist midwife within the family support team at WISMS my role is to support and care for women throughout their pregnancy, my focus being the maternal, fetal and neonatal effects of substance misuse. With a career background as a community midwife I have the skills and equipment to assess and monitor pregnancies alongside the mainstream midwifery service.

What do I offer?

• Fast track referral to drug and alcohol treatment services
• Referral to mainstream maternity services for ante-natal care
• To liaise with other agencies & offer the necessary individualised support e.g. social care and health
• Give information advice and guidance to improve maternal, fetal and neonatal health e.g. the particular effects of specific drugs, neonatal abstinence syndrome
• To provide education about the effects of drugs and alcohol whilst pregnant and the possible effects this may have on parenting
• Accessible ante-natal clinics in all community drug treatment services
• Outreach community home visits across the Wakefield/Pontefract/Castleford areas
• Offer support at hospital appointments or during hospital stays ensuring consistent advice and any prescribing continues
• Home postnatal visits in the month after the baby is born
• Education of other health and social care professionals about substance misuse in pregnancy.

As a member of the family support team the timely liaison and communication will ensure that women and their families will receive the specialist interventions to have a positive, safe birth experience, and achieve the best possible health & social outcomes.