THE CHALLENGE
Small Steps Big Changes (SSBC) was a ten-year National Lottery-funded programme designed to improve outcomes for babies and young children living in some of Nottingham's most disadvantaged communities.
The programme focused on supporting families during the critical early years and sought innovative ways to improve engagement, strengthen parent-child relationships and reduce inequalities in outcomes.
A key challenge was that many families were often reluctant to engage with traditional services and professionals. SSBC recognised that building trust within communities would be essential if support services were to reach the families who could benefit most. The programme therefore sought approaches that could:
- Strengthen parent-infant relationships
- Improve parental confidence
- Increase engagement with local services
- Develop community capacity
- Create trusted peer-to-peer support networks
- Build sustainable support within local communities
Building Community Capacity
A key strength of the project was its focus on empowering local people to support their fellow community members.
Over the ten-year programme, Hands on Babies delivered Baby Massage Instructor Training to more than 300 Community Mentors, Family Support Workers and Health Professionals through face-to-face training cohorts across Nottingham.
The Community Mentor model enabled local residents to:
- Deliver Baby Massage sessions
- Support new parents within their communities
- Act as trusted peer mentors
- Promote positive parent-infant relationships
- Encourage engagement with wider services
- Help bridge the gap between families and professionals
By investing directly in local people, the programme created a sustainable network of support embedded within the communities it served.
Delivery in Practice
Training was delivered face-to-face throughout the ten-year programme and focused on four priority areas:
- St Ann's
- Arboretum
- Aspley
- Bulwell
Hands on Babies worked closely with SSBC teams to ensure the training remained relevant, accessible and practical for Community Mentors while maintaining high standards of delivery. The Baby Massage curriculum provided Community Mentors with a practical tool that could be used to:
- Improve parent confidence
- Support attachment and bonding
- Encourage positive interaction
- Reduce isolation
- Create peer support opportunities
- Increase engagement with local services
Because Baby Massage sessions naturally bring parents together, they also created opportunities for social connection and community-building among families.
SSBC face to face baby massage training for community mentors
What participants said
Parent, Bulwell
SSBC Community Mentor
SSBC Commissioner
"Baby Massage really helped to build my confidence with my baby. Before the sessions I was very nervous, but by the end of the course I felt like I was really good at the job of being mum."
SSBC Commissioner
SSBC Community Mentor
SSBC Commissioner
"Our communities are often reluctant to engage with professionals, but our team of Community Mentors really helped to bridge that gap between the services we offer and how the community engages with them."
SSBC Community Mentor
SSBC Community Mentor
SSBC Community Mentor
"Before this training I had not been in a learning environment since I left school 20 years ago, so I was very nervous. But the training was brilliant, it really built my confidence and now I feel ready to get to work with my community."