Written by the Twins Trust Family Crisis Support Team

Twins Trust Family Crisis Support (formerly Helping Hands) is there to equip families of twins, triplets and more with the skills they need to get back on their feet at a really difficult time in their life.

The parents and carers who come to us are already doing at least two or three times the care of parents of singletons, and are usually experiencing social isolation, finding it harder to leave the house for appointments and social groups. To then add a bereavement, serious physical or mental illness, or other extreme circumstances on top can easily tip a family into crisis. Family Crisis Support exists to try and build these parents’ coping skills to a place where they can be confident and capable parents.

Who delivers the service?

The service is delivered by Twins Trust’s family support practitioner and a team of volunteer support practitioners, all of whom have qualified through Norland College. Typically the support consists of one to two days of practical help at home, but this can be adapted to each family’s needs to ensure that the support is effective.

What do families receive support with?

Practitioners give advice on a range of issues such as feeding, sleep, weaning, putting a routine in place, or getting out of the house, and help parents to achieve their goals by modelling different techniques or suggestions with them.

A recent service evaluation showed that practitioners bring a wealth of knowledge and skill with them to these families and are able to impart their childcare expertise in a manageable and easy-to-understand way.  Parents reported significant improvements as a result particularly in the areas of behaviour, feeding, sleep, getting out and about, and establishing a routine.

What’s happening with the service through the pandemic?

Although we can’t help at home at the moment, we are continuing to support families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. When we heard that NHS postnatal and community healthcare services were going to be reduced, we knew that our network of volunteers could help to bridge the gap by providing invaluable support to families who are trying to look after their newborn babies whilst also being separated from extended family and unable to access healthcare services or social groups. Twins Trust put out an appeal for volunteers who could offer their time to support these families and received a huge response from people eager to help.

The Family Crisis Support service is now open to support all parents of twins, triplets and more who have newborns up to 4 years old.  Support is available to help with questions about caring for their babies or support with feeding, weaning or implementing a routine. We can offer video or phone calls, email support, signposting to information and resources, and more. We really want to make sure that no family feels alone, and to reassure parents that no question or concern is too small to reach out for help. Anyone who wants to know more about the support or make a request for help can visit the Twins Trust website. 

While you are here why not check out our video guides on various topics including behaviour, sleep, teens and tweens and more - for information - click here.

Don’t forget that we offer parent consultations should you need support with anything from sleep to behaviour and so much more! Details of the packages we offer can be found here.

We also have a podcast - ‘Newborn to Teen and Everything in Between’ - listen here.