“Babies1st are delighted to be awarded a grant by What Works for Children Social Care to train and intensively supervise 21 social workers in four local authorities to deliver VIG, with a baby aged up to one year. The project aims to help safely reduce the number of young babies entering care, by improving the parent-infant relationship and helping their parents to be better attuned to their baby’s needs. The programme will be delivered by Babies1st, and evaluated by a team from IFF Research and the Policy Evaluation and Research Unit at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Monika Celebi Director of Babies1st says that this training will have a profound impact on the lives of families with babies. Supporting attuned connections between parents and babies are at the heart of the VIG method, which aims to reduce risk and improve the capacity for love and empathy in families. This project will generate valuable information on the benefits of VIG for the most vulnerable families as well as for the well-being of the social care workforce.”