1 Communications update January 2010

2 Factors effecting daily life Environment –Deprived areas Family situation –Single parents but family nearby Media consumption –Social networking and ‘real life’ ‘My family is very close, very happy, sharing, caring, fun – I couldn’t manage without them’. ‘I’m addicted to Facebook, I love adding pictures, looking at profiles and keeping in touch with friends’. ‘This area is no good, people are drinking on the street and it’s not a good example for my kid’.

3 Motivated for change Intense love for their children encourages them to want to break their ‘vicious cycle’. They want their children to have a happier, healthier more successful life than themselves. ‘Being a mother changed my life, for the better in my view. I love my children more than anything’. ‘My life revolves around my son…I don’t really do much for myself’. ‘I’m worried that she may make the same mistakes I did in life’.

4 Attitudes to health Feel pressure about concerns for their children Health not a priority compared to safety, money and happiness. In terms of health fear of illness/sickness is a concern Prevention is not front of mind ‘I worry about doing everything the right way to make them have a good childhood’. ‘Money, nothing is cheap and I’m worried about finance and support’

5 Opinions of the scheme Beneficiaries –Helps with cost of food and formula –Encourages purchase of healthy foods –Rewards beneficiaries for doing something good for their children Health professionals –Helps start kids off with the right foods –Helps improves diets in general ‘It gets you down the fruit and veg aisle’. ‘This audience often need all the help they can get – it’s a way of improving their diet generally’.

6 Where do beneficiaries get their health information? It’s everywhere! –Family and friends –Mother and baby mags and websites –Baby clubs Non-professional sources eg super size vs super skinny, Pampers, Chat, OK - friendly tone, information easy to absorb Young teens and new mums are more open to information and seek it out This audience is bombarded with government messages both income (benefits) and parent related (red book, pregnancy and birth book etc). Government communications perceived as dull and patronising – therefore it is rarely engaging Look for information from unofficial sources especially friends and family

7 Relationship between beneficiaries and health professionals Beneficiaries find it difficult to relate to health professionals –Transactional rather than supportive –Adult to child –Older mums feel patronised –Disjointed, contradictory advice –Pressure on them to ask the right questions Therefore they look for information elsewhere There is a genuine need for trusted health advice ‘You’re just a number, they try to get you in and out as quickly as possible’.

8 Health professionals can make a huge difference The type of relationship parents feel they have with the Healthy Start scheme is influenced by how they were informed about the scheme If presented by health professionals as a health measure, parents are more likely to feel that they are working together with Healthy Start for the good of their child If they find out about the scheme though Information channels (typically from other parents), the relationship is considered passive – Healthy Start just send out the vouchers

9 What about vitamins? Fundamental disconnect re: balanced diet and vitamins –Beneficiaries and HP agree on this point –BME more aware and open to vitamins messaging –Breastfeeding and vitamins also contradicts Growing awareness amongst beneficiaries and health professionals –Presentation on voucher letter –January mailings

10 Communications objectives We want to: Add value to scheme by providing healthy eating tips, additional health information Increase awareness, understanding and take up of vitamins Improve uptake amongst first time pregnant women Support engagement undertaken by Health Professionals

11 Materials direct to beneficiaries Piggy back on four weekly mailings to provide ongoing information Segment beneficiaries by age of oldest child –10-40 weeks pregnant –0-6 months –7-12 months –1 – 2 years –2-3 years –3-4 years Monthly inserts and quarterly magazines

12 Materials for health professionals to use with beneficiaries HS01 application form revamp HS02 – user guide revamp Posters –HS50 which promotes the scheme as a whole –HS504 and HS505 which promote vitamins To come by end of this FY: Quick guides for potential beneficiaries including a specific version for under 18’s Fridge magnets Recipe cards BME materials revamp Alternative versions – revamp Available now

13 Materials for health professionals and retailers By the end of this FY: HS52 – health professionals guide HS52B – vitamins guide for health professionals POS kit for locations providing vitamins (poster, sticker, table top stand, badges) Updated ‘breastfeeding welcome’ stickers Retailers guide Retailers sticker Retailers quick guide