As the Pregnancy Outreach Workers Service comes to an end, we’re reflecting on the last decade by interviewing some of our POWs about their work.
Jacque
Jahanara
Shaista
Shazia
Sophia
Jacque’s story
Jacque came to Gateway at the very start of the POW Service in 2007. For her, it was the ideal job.
“I have a degree in Family Work and before I joined POWS I was working with families as an outreach worker and social therapist. Working one to one with families is ideal for me.
“I love helping people face to face, helping them to find balance and meeting their needs. Sometimes people just need someone to listen to them, and even just a fifteen minute chat can have a big impact. This kind of social support is vital.
“One of the great things about POWS is that we are from the communities we support, so we know what’s out there and can engage at a community level. The women we work with trust us, because there’s a mutual understanding. We can have a real heart-to-heart … it’s mom to mom.
“Over the years the POWs have supported thousands of women between us. The original remit for the service was to support ‘marginalised’ women – those who have experienced domestic abuse; women with mental health issues; families with no recourse to public funds – and over the years the needs have become more acute.
“The women we’re supporting now are more vulnerable than ever. They include refugees and people who have been hit really, really hard by the recession, so we are dealing with a lot of homelessness, and language barriers.
“Although on paper we do a lot of the same things that other support workers do, the difference is that we are more available; more accessible than most. We will come out to see people wherever they need us to, whether that’s at home, at a Children’s Centre or at the shops, and they can call us at any time.
“It’s our job to make sure baby is born healthy, and to reduce inequality. And the way we do that is to make sure mom has support from as early a stage as possible. If she’s smoking or drinking, or if she isn’t eating properly, perhaps because she doesn’t have the finances to support herself – then of course the child will be born into inequality.
“Some of the happiest times with POWS have been seeing people’s excitement at a new house, or seeing women breastfeed happily when they never thought they’d be able to.”
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