Video Interaction Guidance Service (VIG)

Sometimes you, or the professional you are working with, may feel you could be getting more positivity and enjoyment out of parenting, or that you may benefit from a better understanding of your child. Or you might be facing some challenges at home or want some help to improve your own mental health or improve your relationship with your child. If this is the case, The health visiting service has several accredited Video Interaction Guidance Practitioners who can offer VIG as an additional service.

VIG uses video clips taken of you and your baby to help you see the positives in your relationship, your connection, bond and your communication skills. We discuss the positive impact that this is having on your baby/child. It helps you to see the lovely interactions that you are having and helps you build your confidence as the parent that you want to be.

VIG can help you in the following ways:

• VIG focuses on the things that you are doing well.
• VIG helps you to recognise your strengths and discover new skills.
• VIG helps you to understand the part that you play in building relationships with your child.
• VIG helps you to do more of the things that you are doing well.

Our VIG practitioners will discuss with you what you are hoping to see in your video.  They will then arrange to film you and your baby/child for approximately 5 mins.  This can either be done in your home or via zoom, whichever works best for you.  Your video will then be edited and you will be shown the clips back, discussing any observations and the positive interactions you make with your baby and what this means for you both,  This cycle will be completed on average 3 times or as many times as you feel are necessary.  VIG recognises that we are all doing our best and that we have an instinctive desire to connect with our babies.

We believe VIG is important due to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the importance of our children’s emotional health and their long term health.  Your baby’s emotional wellbeing and health starts before your baby is born. Researchers are studying how our behaviour and home life can affect the way that our genes work (epigenetics).  It is showing that all the hugs, lullabies, smiles and loving interactions that we share with our babies can reduce long term mental health problems and increase our child’s overall happiness, development and resilience to what life holds for them in the future, and interestingly how it affects their physical health too.  The most crucial stage starts in the womb and continues for the first 2 years of life.  This is known as the ‘1001 critical days’.

Take a look at the video below for a number of examples of videos taken with our families:

The following video features information on parents experiences who have used this service in Coventry and Warwickshire:

If you think you would benefit from this service, please talk to your health visitor, who can refer you. Alternatively, you can also self refer yourself using the following contact methods:

• Email: vigpractitioners@swft.nhs.uk
• If you live in South Warwickshire call Eileen O’Sullivan: 07425 571146
• If you live in North Warwickshire call Nadine Anderson: 07901 872748
• If you live in Rugby call Claire Townsend: 07425 542013