How a Moses basket packed with baby essentials is supporting vulnerable families

A specialist maternity team has been praised for leading on a treasured programme that supports mums and their babies across South Tees.

The Indigo team was formed at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2023 and was established to provide maternity care for women who are vulnerable or require additional support.

The specialist midwives aim to provide bespoke care and individualised plans to pregnant mums across Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland.

As part of extending their support to financially disadvantaged women, they quickly realised the absence of a dedicated baby bank provision in Middlesbrough.

A ‘baby bank provision’ refers to a service where essential baby items and equipment are provided to families in need at no cost.

With 40% of wards in Middlesbrough being in the top three percent of most deprived areas nationally in the UK, there was an urgent need to set up a bespoke programme for new mums.

Lead midwife for the Indigo team, Rachel Fairbairn said: “The cost of having a baby is significant and many of the families we care for struggle to purchase the essential items for packing in their maternity bag and those required for caring for their newborn.

“The Indigo team and wider maternity services were often faced with challenges in supporting families to obtain these items.”

In a bid to address the difficulties, the team decided to apply for funding via the VCMA (Vulnerable and Carbon Monoxide Allowance) fund from Northern Gas Networks. The fund aims to support consumers in vulnerable situations and is available to a host of charities and organisations.

The team was successful in securing funding and as a result, they established a dedicated ‘Baby Essentials’ programme at the end of 2024.

Through this initiative, local families are referred to the programme by a midwife or a maternity support worker and receive a Moses basket filled with essential items for new mums and their families.

Promotion of a safe and healthy environment has been at the forefront of the initiative, as items provided to families in the Moses basket include a room thermometer and a carbon monoxide monitor, if required.

Not only do families receive vital items for their babies but they are also offered the opportunity to ask questions to the midwives and receive essential public health messages relating to safe sleeping and safe and warm home environments.

As part of the scheme, families are also introduced to other local sources of practical, financial, parenting and emotional support. With support from a wide range of partner organisations, including charities and local authorities, close to 70 packs have been gifted to families across the South Tees area to date.

Rachel added: “The Baby Essentials programme has been a labour of love for the Indigo Team and all of our community partners.

At times it has even involved our own families and loved ones, who have supported us from putting together Moses basket stands to collecting donations! We are grateful for the opportunity this has given us to increase the support we can provide to local families in helping them to welcome their new babies into our community.”

If the need arises, new mums are also provided with a maternity bag that includes a nightgown suitable for breastfeeding, maternity pads, a wash bag and toiletries – helping further reduce the financial burden for these families.

Families who have benefitted from the programme have praised it for helping them to be prepared and organised for their babies’ arrival whilst easing financial woes.

We need your support

The Indigo team is actively encouraging residents to support their much-loved initiative by donating any new or preloved items to the Baby Essentials programme.

Interested individuals can contact the Indigo team by emailing [email protected] or by donating directly through community partners.