Nursing, parenting and health professionals to receive training in safe sleep and settling

Early Parenting Centre Tweddle and the Centre For Excellence in Child and Family Welfare (CFECFW) have been announced as the partnership that will see over 2,000 of Victoria’s nursing, parenting and health professionals trained in the latest evidence based approaches to sleep and settling, thanks to “significant investment” from the Victorian Government. 

With a number of early childhood education and care (ECEC) professionals working in conjunction with the service providers listed above, and supporting parents and families to cope with the challenges of establishing good sleep habits for infants and young children, the announcement is timely for those in the sector. 

Victoria’s Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Nurse Workforce, Aboriginal Health workers, Allied Health professionals, MCH students and clinical staff working in Early Parenting Centres will all undertake the training.

The CFECFW will develop and support an e-learning course based on the content materials provided by Tweddle and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), with the  training also incorporating evidence based, online training and face-to-face facilitated workshops.

Tweddle CEO Jacquie O’Brien said Tweddle clinicians were looking forward to continuing to work alongside Victoria’s Maternal and Child Health Workforce, saying Tweddle was “delighted to be a part of this important partnership”. 

“Global studies highlight the critical and positive role of infant sleep in a child’s cognition and physical growth,” she said, outlining that sleep and settling concerns are “common issues affecting families with children aged from birth to school age”. 

CFECFW CEO Deb Tsorbaris, expressed her enthusiasm about the partnership, saying “We are also thrilled to be part of this initiative, working together with Tweddle, the department and Victoria’s nursing, health and parenting practitioners, who do such an amazing job with families.”

The Department of Health & Human Services developed the new evidenced-informed sleep and settling fact sheets to support parents and caregivers, with the guidelines developed in consultation with a Maternal and Child Health advisory group and consultants from KPMG.

The training will also provide additional support for Victorian families through the “More help for new Victorian mums and dads” initiative.

Further information is available here.