February 2024
There aren’t many things as life-changing as having a baby but going on parental leave can sometimes leave parents feeling a little detached from their former selves and missing their colleagues.
This is why we’ve created BabyCo; a monthly baby club for our colleagues and their little ones.
Once a month, our Social Care Exchange in Lincoln welcomes colleagues who are either on parental leave or about to start it for a play session with their babies. We also have activities like baby signing, first aid training and sensory play, plus a light lunch and refreshments.
It’s also entirely voluntary and completely free.
Supportive sessions for colleagues and their babies
Wellbeing Manager, Sam Watford explains that it also helps parents with the return to work at the end of their parental leave:
“BabyCo is like a combination of a very informal keep-in-touch day and a baby club. The idea is to create a better way for parents to feel like they’re still part of the team and not feel like they’re missing out or missing their friends. On top of that, it’s also such a good thing morally; some parents don’t have the confidence to go out to baby groups so the club helps them to connect with other new parents to share ideas, advice and stories – and, of course, let their babies play and have a wiggle about.”
BabyCo is a great opportunity for parents to reconnect with their friends at work, stay in touch with what’s going on and make the most of a relaxing, safe, inclusive and friendly environment for them and their babies.
It’s also a fantastic way to socialise with like-minded people who have a lot in common. It gives parents a touchpoint to ask any questions they have about returning to work. That might include exploring options for flexible working when they decide to return to work, or discovering a new job role they’d like to try out next in their career with us.
“We’re all here for each other”
Antonia, who brings her daughter, Phoebe, to BabyCo said she was initially anxious about coming to her first session and didn’t know what to expect, but that quickly changed:
“I needn’t have worried as it was really welcoming and relaxed”, she said. “The moment I walked in I was offered a hot drink, which was lovely. Phoebe was swooned over which filled me with pride. There were no negative comments or judgement, just a nice, relaxed atmosphere.
“I don’t go to baby groups in the community but keep coming here as it feels like I’m home with friends and family. It’s nice having a bit of lunch too. I can trust everyone around me and know Phoebe is ok if I’m chatting to someone else or need to pop to the loo. We’re all here for each other.”
”Keep in touch with work and friends”
Jade has recently returned to work from parental leave and she’s a regular visitor to BabyCo with her son, Sam. She said the sessions helped her to readjust to working life:
“It was really nice to come in just for two hours once a month to keep in touch with work and friends here. It made walking through the door returning back to work less overwhelming and a lot easier. At BabyCo, I was free to discuss things if I needed to and it was also nice to see other mums and dads whom I work with having babies of similar ages, asking how they feel about coming back to work and what their babies are doing.”
If you’re a Home From Home Care colleague on maternity leave or shared parental leave and you’d like to bring your little one to BabyCo, drop us an email at wellbeing@homefromhomecare.com to let us know you’re coming – we’ll even cover your travel costs!
