Request for: IYCF/Breastfeeding Counselling Care Plan Template or other appropriate tool for caregivers
As per the Assess-Analyse-Act counselling process, part of the third step (Act) is to
" Make a plan with the mother on steps to take moving forward. and Document the care plan and make a plan for follow-up care as necessary" (WHO and UNICEF, 2021)
I was unable to find a care plan tool in the WHO 2021 IYCF Integrated Counselling Course Handouts or elsewhere during my rapid online search. The IYCF Full Assesment Form in the Ops Guidance on Counselling in Emergencies includes counselling actions to assist the counsellor in deciding on a care plan (Annex B, Section 11, p. 71) but no template for something to be provided in writing to the caregiver.
Although it is standard practice to check caregiver understanding as part of the counselling process, it seems to me that such documentation could be especially helpful during emergencies (e.g. contact with different counsellors/services during displacement, to help stressed caregivers remember the agreed-upon actions etc.)
- Please clarify: is a "care plan" only for use by counsellors, to be agreed upon verbally with the caregiver, or also for caregivers?
- Please share templates / examples of tools (care plan, report or other appropriate tool) which are used to document and share key assessment findings and agreed-upon actions with caregivers, after a counselling consultation.
It would be great to learn about tools for high-literacy settings, as well as simplified tools (e.g. using graphics) to support mothers in settings with lower literacy rates.
Thank you!
Isabelle
Hi Isabelle, I can't remember seeing any tools which help to check caregiver understanding, but there are some templates in the IYCFE toolkit which have individual care plans. I think that these were designed to be the counsellor in low respirce settings. They can and can be found here:
https://iycfehub.org/document/iycf-e-toolkit-chapter-four-annexes/
4.8 Template for IYCF-E Beneficiary Card
4.13 Template for IYCF-E Care Plan for Caregivers Not Using BMS
Answered:
1 year ago