Maternity Outreach

Case Study:  Maternity Outreach

Volunteer Worker:  Preeti Tyagi

'A' was a new migrant, who arrived in Leeds from South Asia. In her home country she was a qualified nurse with several years of experience under her belt. For many weeks she tried to find her way into nursing in the UK. Being new to Leeds and unfamiliar with the local system, all her efforts were in vain. She was informed that to register as a nurse she needed to have some experience of the local health care system. The major hurdles she faced were:

1. Lack of work experience in the UK
2. Local referee

She came to Shantona looking for any type of voluntary work or course she could join. Maternity Outreach Volunteer (MOV) Project was an ideal opportunity for her to get involved. She showed dedication and enthusiasm to all aspects of this project and training. 

“This training and volunteering opened many options for me. It polished my knowledge and the programme was organised in a very nice way." - 'A'

The programme helped 'A' form new acquaintances a new city. The training delivered by health professionals from NHS Leeds, gave her an opportunity to familiarise herself with how health care worked in Leeds. 

Since completing MOV training with us, 'A' has run some one to one sessions with other local women. It gave her the confidence to start applying for jobs. Shantona Women’s Centre provided her with appropriate volunteering work reference. Along the way she acquired skills in smoking cessation, antenatal care in the UK, and strategies in delivering effective health sessions. She was eventually successful in securing a full time post to work at a care home as a health care worker. She hopes that she will, in time manage to get back into nursing, a vocation she loves. 

If you would like to talk to one of our Shantona team about how our maternity outreach service can help you then please contact us on 0113 249 7120.