Supporting Neonatal Families through the Family and Baby (FAB) Project: Lincolnshire County Council

The Family and Baby (FAB) Project, funded through the Family Hubs Programme, supports families with babies in neonatal care across Lincolnshire. Operating from Lincoln and Boston Neonatal Units, the FAB team provides early, relationship-based support to improve attachment, infant development, and parental wellbeing. With a strong focus on perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationships, the project ensures families are connected to local services and supported through universal or enhanced pathways; as part of the best start in life offer. The project has reached nearly all neonatal families in the county and is underpinned by evidence-based parenting programmes and robust data collection.

The Family and Baby (FAB) Project was developed in response to growing evidence highlighting the critical importance of the first 1,001 days of a child’s life—from conception to age two. Research, including Dame Andrea Leadsom’s Healthy Child Review (2021), emphasised the need for earlier, more integrated support for families during this formative period. Lincolnshire County Council recognised that families with babies in neonatal care often face additional emotional, developmental, and practical challenges. The FAB project was created to ensure these families receive timely, compassionate, and coordinated support, bridging the gap between hospital care and community-based services to ensure continuity of care across best start in life services.

• Provide early, relationship-based support to families with babies in neonatal units, that is centered around family goals.
• Improve parent-infant bonding and attachment during and after neonatal care.
• Ensure all families are registered with local Children’s Centres and connected to the Start for Life offer.
• Deliver evidence-based parenting interventions to support infant development and parental wellbeing.
• Create a seamless pathway from neonatal care to universal or enhanced community support.
• Collect robust data to evidence outcomes and inform continuous improvement.

The FAB project has had a significant and measurable impact on families with babies in neonatal care across Lincolnshire. Since its launch, the team has consistently reached between 98% and 100% of families on the Lincoln and Boston Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), as well as those placed out of county. This high level of engagement demonstrates the effectiveness of the ‘connect to support’ and outreach process.

• Improved parent-infant bonding and attachment, supported through interventions such as Baby Massage, Mellow Bumps, and Video Interactive Guidance (VIG).
• Enhanced emotional wellbeing for parents during a highly stressful period, with timely support from trained key workers.
• Increased access to local services, with all families registered with Children’s Centres and signposted to the Start for Life offer.
• Clear and timely referral pathways, ensuring families receive either universal or enhanced support based on their needs.
• Robust data collection, with all interventions recorded on Synergy and quarterly reports shared with neonatal management teams.
• Positive family feedback, both verbal and written, highlighting the value of the support received.
• Contribution to a more integrated system of care, aligning hospital-based and community services to ensure continuity and consistency.

What we’ve learned:

• Early engagement is critical. Families benefit most when support begins during the neonatal stay, not after discharge.
• Integrated working improves outcomes. Close collaboration between neonatal units, Children’s Centres, and Start for Life services ensures families don’t fall through the gaps.
• Flexibility is key. Families’ needs vary widely, and the ability to offer both universal and enhanced pathways allows the FAB team to tailor support appropriately.
• Data matters. Recording all interventions and outcomes has enabled the team to monitor reach, identify trends, and demonstrate impact to stakeholders.

• Embed support within neonatal settings. Having dedicated key workers linked to neonatal units ensures timely, relevant support for families at a vulnerable time.
• Invest in training. Equipping staff with tools like Baby Massage, Mellow Bumps, Newborn Observation (NBO) Screening and VIG enhances the quality and depth of support.
• Prioritise continuity. A clear pathway from hospital to community services helps families feel supported throughout their journey.
• Use data to drive improvement. Regular reporting and feedback loops help refine the offer and demonstrate value to funders and partners.

Case Study 1: Baby A 

A mother and father were supported by the FAB team after the premature birth of their baby, who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. The family had a history of involvement with social care, and both parents were determined to demonstrate their commitment to parenting. The FAB worker provided intensive support around bonding and attachment, including the use of attachment squares and Video Interactive Guidance (VIG), which the parents described as “beautiful” and confidence-building. The team also supported the family with child development resources, infant feeding advice, financial guidance, and referrals to Portage and Early Years services. The family were successfully connected to their local Children’s Centre and are now accessing sensory sessions and baby massage.

Case Study 2: Baby B

Baby B was admitted to NICU due to concerns about her neurological development. Her parents were overwhelmed and anxious, particularly Dad, for whom this was his first child. FAB workers provided daily emotional support, introduced bonding tools like attachment squares and sensory items, and helped the parents engage in Baby B’s care. Over time, Dad became more confident and less anxious, and both parents reported feeling reassured by the non-clinical support. Baby B’s condition improved, and she was discharged following clear test results. The family expressed deep appreciation for the FAB team’s presence during a difficult time and were referred to baby massage and Early Years services for continued support.

“I was so in love with my baby, I didn’t care that he had Down Syndrome – I just wanted a chance to be his mummy.”

“The VIG experience had just been beautiful. I’ll treasure it always.”

 “All this new information blew my mind. I wish we’d known this with our other children.”

 “We looked forward to the check-ins. It was vital to have someone to talk to about our worries.”

“It helped so much to have someone non-clinical to talk to. We didn’t feel judged.”

Carly Kasi (Programme Manager – Family Hubs and Start for Life), Sally-Ann Simpson (Family and Baby team lead)

Contact: [email protected]