Peer Supporter Course

This course will ensure that you have a good knowledge of normal breastfeeding, and fill in any gaps you may have. As a Peer Supporter, you will offer support and encourage normal breastfeeding, not solve complicated breastfeeding problems.

APPLICATIONS FOR PEER SUPPORTER TRAINING ARE OPEN!

ABM Learn’s Peer Supporter course is a self-led online learning module via desktop or mobile app. Applications are open all year round, and there are no specific ‘intake’ dates.


Course information

Applicants for the Peer Supporter (PS) course often also hope to apply to train as a midwife or similar role, or plan to spend the time between being accepted for midwifery training or similar role and starting the course by improving their knowledge of breastfeeding through the PS module. However, the PS course is designed for those who volunteer only in breastfeeding support and is not suitable for midwifery or other similar students. If you are a health professional in the field of infant feeding, or anyone who works in an infant-related job you must already be involved in voluntary work associated with lactation to be eligible for this course.

The ABM Foundation course, also offered by the ABM, is a suitable alternative for those in this position.

Please read and understand the following points when deciding which course to apply for:

  • PS qualification should be used for voluntary work only, not as a boost to any midwifery or similar application.
  • Applicants for the PS course must not be planning to apply for midwifery or similar role with a FULL calendar year of applying for PS.
  • Students must have completed the PS course and marking process before applying for midwifery or similar training.
  • If students do apply for midwifery or similar training within the year or before completing the course, they have the option to pay the difference and transfer to the Foundation course. Otherwise, their PS course will be deleted without a refund.

How to apply

  • If your training is being funded by a group/organisation/NHS Trust, please ask the group leader/departmental head to contact us beforehand for a booking form. Do not apply before your group/organisation/trust has booked you in. 
  • download the reference form here and obtain a reference from someone who knows you professionally (ie. In a work context, friends and family are not suitable referees), once complete, have them return it to you then upload it where prompted when you complete the application form.
  • Complete and submit the application form HERE. Do not submit your application without uploading your reference.
  • Please don’t order/purchase this course online before you have received official notification that you are accepted for training. 

Download Leaflet PDFAdditional information about his course

 


 

Course Introduction

Our most popular course for volunteers is our Peer Supporter course which offers trainees the opportunity to be able to support mother-to-mother, parent-to-parent.

As a Peer Supporter, you will encourage normal breastfeeding and you are not expected to solve complicated breastfeeding problems.

Our course is taken online in your home and can be accessed by computer, tablet or phone.

You will be given 12 weeks to complete the course once enrolled.  Please ensure you are able to meet this deadline before enrolling onto the course once accepted.

Our online course provides you with resources you need including:

# evidence-based research articles and audio / film clips and a recommended reading list.

# support from trainees and counsellors, on our dedicated Facebook ABM Trained and Training Group or through your regional supervisor.

The module is assessed through quizzes, short and long-answer sections and although it is based online, it includes interaction with a human ABM marker.

This course is not suitable for anyone who works with breastfeeding mothers in a paid capacity (e.g. postnatal doula or maternity nurse) and is only for those who will offer voluntary support. We do require that all our Peer Supporter trainees will have breastfed for a minimum of 6 months before they apply for training

Peer supporters need to retain ABM membership to keep the status of Peer supporter and to be covered by our insurance. You can choose to attend our regional study days and annual conference to supplement your learning.

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES

∙ We anticipate that the 11 course pathways and two breastfeeding observations will need approximately 35 hours of study.  Plan to spend at least 3 hours per week on the course in order to stay on track for your deadline.  This includes using the resources within the lessons and completion of the quizzes.

∙ Much of the course is self-marking and this should enable to you feel confident as you move through the course content.

∙ The expected outcome of this learning experience is that you will consolidate your knowledge around breastfeeding and understand why it is so valuable to families and communities. You will gain confidence to support other parents in your community.

∙ This course is suitable for those with a range of breastfeeding knowledge—from beginners to advanced—and is inclusive of differing ability.

 

Course Structure

Pathway 1: Getting Started

Pathway 2: Why breastfeed?

Pathway 3: How it works

Pathway 4: Supporting families

Pathway 5: Communication

Pathway 6: Early days

Pathway 7: Position and attachment

Pathway 8: Night times

Pathway 9: Challenges

Pathway 10: Starting solids

Pathway 11: Expressing milk

We also ask learners to do two breastfeeding observations during the course.

After completing the Peer Supporter course, some volunteers go on to complete our more in-depth course to become a breastfeeding counsellor and to volunteer on the National Breastfeeding Helpline.


Some applicants have found our breastfeeding counselling and advanced courses a helpful starting point for eventually preparing for IBLCE applications. Our courses, despite their length, do not cover all aspects of the core curriculum needed to take the lactation consultant’s exam. If a trainee’s primary intention in taking our courses is to contribute towards the 90 hours necessary, we recommend finding an alternative. As a charity with limited resources, we are unable to give individuals specific advice about a possible IBLCE application and we encourage those interested to contact IBCLE to learn more about the process.

Group and/or Organisation-paid Trainees
An administration fee will apply for any traineeships on our Peer Supporter, Breastfeeding Counsellor, Foundation and Advanced courses not paid for by the individual trainee. The admin fees are as follows:
 
Individual Trainees = £5 per person
Groups up to 10 = £50 flat rate
Groups up to 20 = £100 flat rate
Groups of more than 20 = £150 flat rate
 
This fee applies in any instance an organisation, NHS Trust or similar institution pays the training fee for an individual or group on one of our courses, and will be applied as standard. Any bookings of this type require a signed training agreement before enrollment.