Case Study: Home Visiting Alliance Network (Mar 2024)
Home Visiting Alliance Network, Led by The Early Learning Initiative, National College of Ireland.
The Home Visiting Alliance Training Network was formed in 2022 and the training programme ran until January 2024. The goal of the network was to deliver skills development opportunities to home-visiting staff that are responsive to the changing and diverse needs of Home Visitors, families, society, and the economy. This included a strong mix of transversal interdisciplinary skills i.e., trauma-informed, soft, transferable, and employability skills, particularly empathy, communications, resilience, creativity, and problem-solving.
The mode of delivery was online through webinars. During 2022 and 2023 the network delivered 7 webinars to home visiting staff which covered the following topics:
- Neurodiversity and pathways to support
- Consultation with UNITES Project who are reviewing home visiting services across Ireland
- Nurturing ourselves with self-care
- An introduction to infant mental health
- An Understanding of Child Development Through Connection, Whole Body Learning and Inclusion
- An Impact on Hidden Harm Through Substance Use
- Building Resilience in Home Visitors Supporting Families Experiencing Mental Health.
The training programme was very successful, with the webinars reaching very high attendance levels. Positive feedback was also received from participants which can be read below.
One of the biggest successes of this training programme was the adoption of online training
This introduced a newfound flexibility in terms of both time and location. The enhanced accessibility proved invaluable for home visitors, especially those with childcare commitments or based in remote areas. Consequently, the participation of home-visiting staff surpassed our initial projections, and we are pleased to note the inclusion of professionals from Tusla and HSE.
The transition to online training has also demonstrated significant cost-effectiveness. This is not only advantageous for our Alliance but also extends to the programs and participants, as it eliminates travel expenses and reduces time commitments.
The webinar format facilitated the exchange of ideas and questions, thereby enriching the overall learning experience for home visiting staff and fostered a collaborative environment, bringing together a diverse range of home-visiting professionals from various locations across Ireland for shared training opportunities and professional development.
Time was a big challenge for the Network and Network Coordinator
The time required for planning, preparing training materials, executing a social media campaign, and engaging with members of the training network has proven to be a formidable challenge. I underestimated the considerable time investment needed to execute a series of training webinars, complete with feedback and videos after each session.
While we are achieving high standards in all aspects, we must recalibrate our expectations and be more realistic about time management for future projects. As Network Coordinator, I would like to point out that I was given the allotted time to get the job done to a high standard by my employer and the Home Visiting Alliance. It is just to note for the next group of fundees coming in that it takes more time than anticipated.
There was huge value in being involved with the Training Links Project over the past year
Being involved in the Training Links Network brought tangible benefits to network members, such as skill enhancement, access to resources, adaptability, stakeholder collaboration, and a continuous learning culture. Meeting the other training coordinators was a bonus, understanding that you were part of a community of practice where everyone shared ideas, successes, and challenges in a safe space contributed to the learning.
Testimonials from participants:
"It was a great session to remind us all we need more self-care and to look at what works for each of us. Thanks."
"I really enjoyed the guest speaker, so informative with practical suggestions too. I love that she educated herself about Autism and also to get to know your child and what they like to do and encourage all the positive things in their lives."
"Just say thanks very much for organising webinars like this one, I always know that by participating in them, I will learn something, for personal development, that will help to improve my work with my families, it's like an echo, what I learned here I know it will make a good impact for my Families!"
"It would be great to learn more about boundaries in between members of the family but also how to help more the siblings of autistic child as in fairness the take a lot of the pressure too! thanks a mil I am glad that I got the opportunity to participate. Very beneficial information."
"I found the circle of security helpful to visualise the secure base. The combination of talking and video helped keep me focused and made it enjoyable."
Great to have these webinars. I feel supported in my role as a home visitor.
Lots of information and tools to help us with our work and also in our everyday lives.