Netmums’ Drop-In Clinic and Parent Supporter Service
Anne-Marie O'Leary
Editorial DirectorFind out more about Netmums' Drop-In Clinic and Parent Supporter Service.
Netmums’ Drop-In Clinic is a dedicated space in our forum where you can ask questions – at any time – to be answered by our team of expert Parent Supporters (see more about the Netmums Parent Supporters team below).
Women's Aid also answer questions on the domestic abuse board.
Topics covered
The Netmums Drop-In Clinic is set up to take your questions on the topics we know matter most to you:
- Baby and child health
- Bottle-feeding
- Breastfeeding
- Child mental health
- Domestic abuse
- Maternal mental health
- Sleep
- Weaning
- Support for dads
- Unhealthy relationships
- Young parents
How the Drop-In Clinic works
Anyone can browse posts in the Netmums Drop-In Clinic.
To ask a question, you need to be a Netmums member (Not signed up? Join here)
Once logged in, simply select the topic board you want to post on, add your question and simply wait for your question to be answered. We aim to answer most queries within 24 hours on weekdays.
About Netmums’ Parent Supporter team
The Netmums Parent Supporter service was created in 2008 with funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families as part of the Parent Know How Project.
As part of this contract, a Netmums Parent Supporter Service evaluation showed that of parents who’d used the service:
- Three in five parents felt they’d benefitted from it
- 78% felt reassured by it
- 78% felt better informed
- 76% felt less isolated
- 70% felt stress levels were lessened by it
Since 2015, the Netmums Parent Supporter team has been funded entirely by Netmums and continues to respond to the questions of thousands of parents each month.
Meet Netmums’ Parent Supporters
Ashley Duncan, posting as Ashley N
Ashley has over fifteen years’ experience working with children, parents, and families. She’s worked with homeless groups, people with disabilities, children and families involved in the Looked After System; and in addiction and sex work support settings.
As well as working with local organisations, Ashley has also worked at Barnardos, Mind and Changing Lives.
Ashley holds a Certificate in Counselling through Central Counselling and Training Services. She is currently completing her Masters in Counselling, and coordinates a Counselling service in South London.
Her other qualifications include a degree in Physiotherapy from Queen Margaret University, L4 training in Leadership and Management through CMI, and a Professional Development Award in Practice Learning through the Learning Network West. .
When she’s not working, Ashley loves going on adventures with her two wonderful children.
Tracey Stone, posting as Tracey B
Tracey graduated as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse, specialising in Health Visiting, from Plymouth University in 2001.
Tracey has been employed by Netmums as a Health Visitor since July 2009, and also works as a Registered Health Visitor in Devon leading on the delivery of the early year's elements of the Healthy Child Programme in partnership with other services. Within this role, Tracey is a Nurse Prescriber and a Chat Health Practitioner.
Tracey qualified as a registered nurse for children in 1995 and worked for five years on an acute paediatric ward at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.
Tracey has also led a respite service for children with additional needs and their families for Devon County Council giving children and their families much needed breaks. Tracey is an expert in teething, offering expert guidance online here.
Of her many roles which Tracey really enjoys, her favourite is being a loving Mum to her two AMAZING boys.
Lauren Buchanan, posting as Lauren L
Lauren is a registered practicing social worker, accredited play therapist, and certified counsellor, who has worked therapeutically with children, young people and their families, both here in the UK and internationally.
She is currently completing a PhD in Social Work at Edinburgh University focusing on online support to help children and families with mental health issues in tandem with her role as a social worker in Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
Previously Lauren completed a Masters in Social Research Methods at Queens University Belfast along with a BSW (Hons) in Social Work.
She completed her PG Diploma and PG Certificate in Play Therapy at Leeds Beckett University, a Certificate in Counselling at Queens University and has published articles and presented at international conferences in relation to her research.
Lauren also works on the Netmums boards replying to parents in need of support.
Emma Moriarty, posting as Emma M
Emma is a registered children’s nurse, currently working as an NHS Health Visitor in the South West and on the Netmums Drop-In Clinic forum since Jan 2017.
She graduated in paediatric nursing from Birmingham City University in 2010 and in 2013 as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (Health Visitor) and a Community Practitioner Nurse Prescriber from the same university.
Cathy Parsley, posting as Katie P
Cathy has previously worked for Sure Start and Barnardos as an Outreach Worker and has been employed as a Netmums Parent Supporter since August 2013.
She joined Sure Start Children's Centres in 2009 as a Healthy Lifestyle Coordinator, working with families to promote physical and mental health/wellbeing, and supported vulnerable families.
Cathy has facilitated community groups in the past – such as breastfeeding and parent and toddler groups – and is also trained in domestic abuse and supporting people after leaving abusive relationships.
Cathy has worked more recently as an IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advisor) for a Domestic Abuse Charity and continues to volunteer as a counsellor for victims of DA.
With a Degree in Psychology, she is currently in her final year of her Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling.
Alongside her role as a Netmums Parent Supporter, Cathy is also a Youth Wellbeing Coach for 11 - 18 year olds who are struggling with their general wellbeing or experiencing stress and anxiety.
Loraine Thrower, posting as Loraine N
Loraine has worked in the public sector for over 30 years, with both the Department of Work and Pensions and the Home Office and been employed by Netmums as a Parent Supporter since August 2017.
She has extensive experience of managing large numbers of people and supporting disadvantaged groups including: single parents, the long-term unemployed, customers with addiction/debt problems, asylum seekers and families with children who are being forcibly removed from the UK.
In the last 10 years, her work has been focused on safeguarding children, taking a senior role in ensuring that staff within the Immigration Service were trained to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Her specialism in this area, has taken her overseas to Ghana in an effort to raise awareness of child trafficking from West Africa to the UK.
As well as working as a Netmums Parent Supporter, Loraine is also a trained volunteer for the charity Home-Start helping families with young children who need additional support.
Loraine gained her Home-Start Accreditation Award (Level 2) in May 2018.
About our former Parent Supporters
We've also been very fortunate to work with lots of very experienced and talented Parent Supporters over the years, in addition to our current Parent Supporter team (mentioned above).
As you may still come across some of the advice they've given in the forum in the past, here's a bit more about each of them, too.
Adele (70)
Adele spent a year as a Netmums Parent Supporter from 2014 to 2015.
Anna F(8)
Anna was a registered social worker working on Netmums as a Parent Supporter from 2009 to 2013.
Annie B(28)
Annie joined the Netmums Parent Supporter Service as a health visitor. She worked with us between 2008 and 2013.
Brigid O
Brigid worked as a Netmums Parent Supporter and health visitor between 2008 and 2011.
Carol J(80)
Carol worked as a Parent Supporter Health Visitor for 5 years from 2010. She is a registered Health Visitor .
Christina Allen, posting as Christina A
Christina works as a Community Health Worker within an NHS health visiting team in Devon.
Christine B(10)
Christine worked for Netmums between 2006 and 2015 as a Parent Supporter health visitor. Her main focus was supporting new mums with sleep issues.
Christine D
Christine is a registered Counsellor who worked as a Netmums Parent Supporter focusing on Maternal Mental Health and Wellbeing between 2008 to 2012.
Claire Dalgleish, posting as Claire B
A qualified nursery nurse (NNEB), Claire has previously worked as a Senior Nursery Nurse in the NHS, Claire currently works as a Community Health Worker within an NHS health visiting team.
Daisy (3)
Daisy was a Netmums Parent Supporter from 2011 to 2013.
Danielle Easter, posting as Danielle E
Danielle started her nursing career over 20 years’ ago in the NHS working as a RMN, and qualified as a Health Visitor in 2015. In the past she has been responsible for patient care in an in-patient acute mental health ward.
More recently she has been working as Health Visitor in the South West, supporting families with children in the delivery of the Healthy Child Programme, providing a duty service to families on the phone and holding her own caseload. She has specialist training in nurse prescribing.
As well as working for Netmums as a n online Health Visitor in our Drop-In Clinic, Danielle mentors trainee health visitors at the University of the West of England.
Dawn N(81)
Dawn worked as a Netmums Parent Supporter for three years between 2012 and 2015.
Debra A(2)
Debra is an early years practitioner (nursery nurse) with experience in supporting people with issues ranging from mental health to postnatal depression as well as alcohol and drug issues.
She joined Netmums as a Parent Supporter from 2008 to 2011.
Dr David
Dr David is a Consultant Paediatrician with a special interest in cystic fibrosis, respiratory paediatrics and allergies. Dr David held specialist webchats on Netmums on topics including allergies & intolerances and treating fevers.
Ellie W(33)
Ellie has extensive experience of working as a volunteer with Samaritans. She was the Senior Parent Supporter at Netmums, working across all our boards including the Drop-In Clinic.
Emma H(82)
Emma was the deputy head at a large London primary school. She also runs a local support group for families raising children with Down’s syndrome. She worked as a Parent Supporter at Netmums for two years from 2010.
Emma M(2726)
Emma was a trained social worker and worked as a Parent Supporter at Netmums between 2014 and 2019.
Elizabeth (13)
Karen (posting as Elizabeth) is a qualified Nursery Nurse (NVQ3) and has worked with vulnerable women and children through the charity sector and as an outreach worker for Sure Start focusing on domestic abuse and maternal mental health.
Karen completed her NVQ Level 3 in Early Years Care and Education with JHP Training (now known as Learn Direct) in 2002 and has also trained with NCT Professional in Postal Depression Awareness and with Barnardo’s in Advocacy Training.
Felicity James, posting as Felicity J(32) and Felicity J(27)
Felicity is a qualified Health Visitor working in South Wales and in Netmums’ Drop-in Clinic.
She qualified as a paediatric nurse with a master’s degree in 2007 from The University of Nottingham before working as a community children’s nurse within a health visiting team for Bath and North East Somerset PCT.
Felicity graduated in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing from the University of Gloucester in 2009, including becoming a nurse prescriber.
She has had articles published in the Community Practitioner and the Journal of Neonatal Nursing on topics including breastfeeding, SIDS and kangaroo care.
Felicity has a keen interest in breastfeeding and has trained with UNICEF UK and supports her current health board with achieving and maintaining the UNICEF Baby Friendly initiative status.
Frances E(14)
Frances joined Netmums as a Parent Supporter in 2012 before leaving two years later, in 2014.
Hannah (57)
Hannah worked as a Netmums Parent Supporter for two years from 2013 until 2015.
Helen (14)
Helen worked as a Netmums Parent Supporter in 2011 and 2012.
Jeanette c(5)
Jeanette is a registered nurse, district nurse and health visitor who joined Netmums as a Parent Supporter between 2011 and 2014.
Before working at Netmums, Jeanette was an LEA governor and was vice chair for Home-Start – a charity that works with people who have parenting experience to support local parents.
Jeanette also worked as chair/coordinator for NCT (National Childbirth Trust) and was an experienced breastfeeding supporter.
Jillian P(29)
Jillian was a registered health visitor working in our Drop-In Clinic in 2014.
Joanne S(87)
Joanne is a nursery nurse supporting parents in the community. She worked on our Drop-In Clinic from 2008 to 2011.
Jo J(127)
Jo was a Netmums Parent Supporter and midwife for two years from 2009 until 2011.
Josephine H(23)
Josephine spent a year as a Netmums Parent Supporter from 2011 until 2012.
Kamran B
Kamran is a lawyer and an experienced Mediator working for National Family Mediation. He worked in the Netmums Separation Advice Clinic from 2011 to 2013.
Karen C(668)
Karen was a Parent Supporter and health visitor at Netmums from 2009 until 2016.
Linda H
Linda worked as a Netmums Parent Supporter between 2008 and 2014.
Liz
Liz is a registered nurse, midwife and health visitor who worked as a Parent Supporter Health Visitor and Lead Professional from 2006 to 2011. Liz has an MA in health and nursing studies from the University of Reading. She was a research health visitor before becoming a Fellow at the University of Reading, specialising in maternal health and infant social development.
Liz also has an Adv Dip in counselling (Dec 1999) and was an accredited BACP counsellor until her retirement. She also co-authored the Social baby book in 2000.
Liz R(254)
Liz is a registered health visitor and CONI (Care of Next Infant) specialist supporter. She worked as a Parent Supporter for Netmums from 2013 to 2015.
Louise G(700)
Louise G worked as a Netmums Parent Supporter in 2011 and 2012.
Maggie F(21)
Between 2009 and 2015 Maggie worked for the Netmums Parent Supporter service as a registered health visitor. Maggie's particular expertise saw her able to help and support parents whose children had difficulty sleeping.
Maria (394)
Maria spent a year as a Netmums Parent Supporter in 2014.
Marie L(2001)
Marie worked as a Netmums Parent Supporter in 2014 and 2015.
Mary D(58)
Mary worked on the Netmums Parent Supporter team between 2008 and 2013.
She’s a registered health visitor with a particular interest in supporting mothers with perinatal mental health issues as well as training health visitors to support mums with postnatal depression.
Michelle T(553)
Michelle was a Netmums Parent Supporter between 2011 and 2015.
Nasreen H(7)
Nasreen is an experienced teacher who had her own young family when she joined Netmums as a Parent Supporter between 2011 and 2015.
Nicolette W(2)
Nicolette is a trained relationship supporter who worked on Netmums’ relationship boards between 2009 and 2015.
Rachel B(843)
Rachel was a Netmums Parent Supporter and health visitor from 2009 until 2015.
Saffron
Saffron spent seven years as a Netmums Parent Supporter. She joined in 2007 and left in 2014.
Sally S(668)
Sally is a registered midwife with a specialist interest in maternal mental health. She helped support new mums via Netmums’ Parent Supporter service in 2014 and 2015.
Sarah D(477)
Sarah is an early years practitioner (nursery nurse) and former Children's Centre manager. She worked in our Drop-In Clinic and on our childcare boards between 2009 and 2015.
Suzi C(19)
Suzi is an experienced early years practitioner (nursery nurse) who owned a childcare setting with outstanding provision for special needs support.
Suzi worked in the Netmums Drop-In Clinic between 2010 and 2015.
Suzanne W(3)
Suzanne worked as a Parent Supporter between 2008 and 2011.
She’s a registered paediatric nurse who has also worked in a children’s hospice, caring for terminally ill children and their families.
Tessa H(88)
Tessa worked as a Netmums Parent Supporter and health visitor for five years between 2008 and 2013.
Tracey T(117)
Formerly an early years practitioner (nursery nurse), Tracey is now a registered health visitor. She worked as a Netmums Parent Supporter in our Drop-In Clinic between 2008 and 2013.
Trudy F(13)
Trudy was a support worker who worked as a Netmums Parent Supporter in the Drop-In Clinic during 2013 and 2014.
Viv F(18)
Vivienne is an experienced Mediator working for National Family Mediation. She worked in the Netmums Separation Advice Clinic from 2011 to 2013.
