Doula UK Mentoring and Recognition

Step by Step

1. Go to the Doula Mentor page to view the list of our current Doula Mentors (DM).
2. Get in touch with your chosen DM using the Mentee Introduction Form.  Please keep a copy for yourself (you’ll need to copy and paste). You can find this form and other useful Mentoring and Recognition documents on the downloads page.
3. Once the DM has received your form and further discussion has taken place, your name will be displayed as a birth and/or postnatal ‘mentored doula’ on our “Find a doula” pages.
4. You will need to return your online completed birth and/or postnatal records which you can find on the the downloads page  to send to your DM for debriefing and reflection. These must be submitted INDIVIDUALLY as you complete EACH work experience.
5. You are required to keep in regular contact with your DM, sending them one record of work at a time and discussing each job before you embark on the next.
6. You should engage in a discussion about your fees with your DM, taking into account the going rate for mentored doulas in your area; your expenses; geographical location; and relevant experience. You should then come to a mutually agreed fee structure for each job that you do, or for the period of your apprenticeship.
7. For your final recognition interview, you are expected to make your way to your DM, where possible. Alternatively, it may be possible for you both to meet at a halfway point, or via Skype/Facetime (the doula wishing to be recognised will be expected to pay the DM’s travelling expenses).
8. Once your ‘Recognition’ is confirmed, your status on the Doula UK website will be that of  ‘recognised doula’.

If at any stage during the Recognition Process you are unhappy in your relationship with your DM, please email the Coordinator of Mentoring at mentoring@doula.org.uk so that they may help you resolve any problems.

Please see the  recognition documents section of the downloads page for relevant documents

What to expect from your Doula Mentor

The Doula Mentor (DM) is there to support and guide the new doula in an effective exploration of their role through debriefing, discussion and reflection on the work they have undertaken. The DM will aim to aid the new doula in their progression towards being the best doula that they can be.

 The Doula Mentor will:

• be a ‘recognised’ doula within the Doula UK network and have at least two years experience and over 20 birth doula jobs and over 250 hours of postnatal doula work.
• fully understand and comply with the Doula UK Code of Conduct and Philosophy
• be accountable to Doula UK
• be non-judgemental, self-aware and display a degree of flexibility
• offer constructive feedback, both positive and negative, between each work experience undertaken
• offer creative suggestions for improvement and learning
• encourage an attitude of reflection
• make every attempt to meet face-to-face with the doula undergoing the mentoring process at final interview stage
• complete notes concerning any discussions, telephone conversations, assessment interviews and other contact
• be able to ask for advice and support from their fellow DMs and/or DM Co-ordinators
• take responsibility for maintaining regular communication with fellow DMs and attend Doula UK meetings
• carry out all work within the boundaries of confidentiality
• be paid a total capped fee of £300 for the mentoring process, regardless of how many jobs it takes for your DM to feel that you have experienced a range of situations and are ready to be a Recognised Doula.
• will offer payments by installment as agreed with you

Doula UK Doula Mentor Responsibilities

 The DM will initially:

• respond as soon as possible to the doula wishing to be mentored, acknowledging whether you can accept them on your books, or not
• explain the doula mentee the process of mentoring and where to find the online forms and other useful member downloads.
• open a new file on the doula with the information submitted in the Mentee Introduction Form.
• have an in depth phone or email discussion, getting to know the doula
• provide the doula with a written copy of your personal ground rules so as to ensure clarity
• ensure the doula has read the Guidelines for Recognition and is able to download the birth/postnatal record forms from the Recognition Process page
• clarify your preferred method of communication with the doula throughout their Recognition Process
• enter the mentees details onto the DM pages of the website
• read through and give constructive feedback on the doula’s doulaography and website and encourage them to join their local Doula UK Facebook group, and connect with her Doula UK Rep.

During the Recognition Process the DM will:

• be available – observing their personal boundaries – to support and discuss the doula’s work and experience
• make time between each job to assess the work submitted by the doula and to discuss this with them 
• be prepared to show flexibility, if any concerns or uncertainties arise for them, contact their fellow DM’s and/or Coordinator of Mentoring for counsel and support

 Recognition Interview:

The new doula may be ready for their final interview when they have completed a range of experiences including the accompanying work, debriefing, discussion and reflection to the DM’s satisfaction. The mentee must have debriefed a minimum of four experiences in order to become recognised.

Usually the mentored doula will come to the DM for this meeting, if the mentored doula is at a distance and they have no reason to come for a visit to relatives or friends, the DM may need to meet them half way or find another solution.

This time together is an opportunity to look at the mentored doula’s journey so far in more general terms: how the experiences have affected them, who their influences are, what they feel and the DM sees their knowledge base to be. Look at any handouts given to clients (making sure they have acknowledgements and references on them and ownership and accuracy if the mentored doula has originated them), and give feedback about the mentored doula’s strengths and weaknesses, identifying specific areas for on-going development or study, signposting future direction if necessary.

The new doula signs the Doula UK Code of Conduct and the DUK Philosophy for the DM to keep with the doula’s records.

Recognition:

If the Doula mentor is happy for the mentored doula to be recognised, they complete the recognition section on their mentee profile, with the date.

The mentored doula will be asked to submitted the feedback form to the mentoring coordinator they will then tick the certificate checkbox. This notifies Doula UK who will send the certificate.

Afterwards:

Most DMs will offer to continue the relationship after recognition.

Doula UK was founded in 2001 to promote life-changing support from skilled doulas for families in the childbearing year, to nurture the doula community by mentoring and supporting our members, and to give confidence to parents and professionals, while advocating for better support for UK families. We are now a community of more than 700 birth and postnatal doulas, supporting thousands of births, and providing many more hours of postnatal support to families each year.

On completion of a Doula UK approved preparation course, new doulas join Doula UK as mentored doulas*.

Our flagship Mentoring Scheme was established in 2004, to ensure that each new member is supported through a unifying Recognition process, regardless of the doula preparation course they have completed.

1. Graduates of any Doula UK approved doula preparation course (Or Alternitive pathway course) can join Doula UK as a mentored doula, and choose a doula mentor (DM) from our team of 60+, to support them on their journey
2. Once the new doula has found a doula mentor, they are invited to create a doulaography profile, so that they are immediately discoverable by clients who want to hire a doula
3. The doula mentor supports the mentee through debriefing, discussion and reflection on the work they have undertaken
4. Once the mentee has completed a range of experiences which must include a minimum of four births to become a birth doula and four postnatal clients to become a postnatal doula and completed the accompanying debriefing, discussion and reflection, the doula mentor will arrange the final recognition interview and the mentee will become a recognised doula.

*Experienced doulas may be eligible to join Doula UK through the Alternative Pathway to membership. By experienced we mean: experienced* doulas from overseas moving to the UK, experienced* UK (Alternative pathway) doulas who have never been a member of Doula UK, and experienced doulas who have attended an initial preparation doula course which is not approved by Doula UK can apply to join Doula UK via Route B. Or previous Doula UK members returning after time out from the membership. (By experienced we mean having attended over 15 births or if you are a postnatal doula ONLY you must have minimum of 300 hours postnatal work. Evidence will need to be shown)

The Mentoring Relationship

The doula mentor’s role is to support and discuss the mentee’s work and experience, and to make time between each job to assess the work submitted by the doula, and to discuss this with her. The mentee must take ownership of the process in terms of contacting the DM to arrange the debriefs.

The doula mentor gets to know the mentee through an in depth conversation, beginning with a discussion around the mentee’s introduction form (a sort of Q&A about their personal path to doulaing). The DM also offers constructive feedback on the doula’s doulaography (Doula UK profile) and website, and encourages them to actively participate in the Doula UK community, by joining their local Facebook group for example, and connecting with their Doula UK Rep.

Costs

The cost for mentoring to become a recognised birth doula is capped at £300, and it is capped at £300 to become a recognised postnatal doula.  Or  if you break this down into five individual payments this would be £60 each. Should you wish to become a recognised birth and post natal doula the total cost will be capped at £600.  The fee is paid directly to your doula mentor who is required by Doula UK to offer you the opportunity to make payments in installments.

Members may choose whether to become recognised as either a birth or a postnatal doula, or both. It is also possible to become recognised in one and later commence mentoring in another.

Timeframe

Some new doulas will complete their recognition within a few months of joining Doula UK, but a year or so is more typical. The aim is that each mentee will have completed the process within two years. Like any new venture, the speed at which milestones are reached will depend on different factors. Some new members continue in other jobs and doula when they can. Others, with young children or other caring commitments, may also take time to complete their Recognition. Members who make doulaing their primary focus from the outset of course tend to complete the Recognition process sooner.

Our Doula Mentors

The doula mentor (DM) is there to support and guide the new doula in an effective exploration of her role through debriefing, discussion and reflection on the work they have undertaken. The DM will aim to aid the new doula in their progression towards being the best doula that they can be.

Each Doula Mentor

• is a ‘Recognised’ doula within the Doula UK network and has at least two years’ experience and over 20 birth doula jobs and over 250 hours of postnatal doula experience
• fully understands and complies with the Doula UK Code of Conduct and Philosophy
• is accountable to Doula UK
• is non-judgemental, self-aware and displays a degree of flexibility
• offers constructive feedback, both positive and negative, between each work experience undertaken
• offers creative suggestions for improvement and learning
• encourages an attitude of reflection
• makes every attempt to meet face-to-face with the doula undergoing the mentoring process at final interview stage
• completes notes concerning any discussions, telephone conversations, assessment interviews and other contact
• is able to ask for advice and support from her fellow doula mentors and/or the Head of Mentoring
• takes responsibility for maintaining regular communication with fellow doula mentors and attend Doula UK meetings
• carries out all work within the boundaries of confidentiality.

Mentee Stories

Karin Chandler completed her Doula Preparation Course with Conscious Birthing in September 2015. Karin began working towards Postnatal Recognition with her Doula Mentor, Nicola Goodall, in March 2016, and was Recognised in May 2017. Karin is now a Recognised Birth and Postnatal Doula.

Nicola made me feel supported and listened to throughout the whole process. I knew that she was a safe person to go to explore issues that I might find difficult. I felt the breadth of her wisdom and experience.  She was great and generous with her time, which is one of the reasons I chose her.  She was incredibly organised when we debriefed and had a fab e-booking system. She clearly re-read all my notes just before we debriefed and was therefore totally prepared for our conversations. We had lots of in between chats via Messenger too. My understanding is that the process is to help me reflect and develop my doulaing, learning from experience and realising my strengths as well as areas to be developed. I am definitely more confident and more aware of postnatal traditions, such as belly wrapping. We had some interesting conversation about cultural appropriation and inclusivity too.  She was great and has inspired me to aim to become a Mentor one day.

This member (who wishes to share her experience anonymously) completed her Doula Preparation Course with Nurturing Birth in October 2011. She began working towards Birth Recognition with her Doula Mentor, Alison Edwards, in April 2016, and was Recognised in July 2017.

Alison was very relaxed and clear, and made [the process] sound very easy and positive. Alison was very often available and offered me support when needed. We worked around our busy schedules to make it work. She never rushed me through, and was very understanding. She helped me a lot. Alison is an amazing doula and Mentor and I’m so happy that I’ve found her to help me becoming a Recognised Birth Doula. She was easily available and always made it clear when to call her. She always nearly instantly replied to my texts/emails which was amazing. She always made some time for me when needed. Everything was explained to me very clearly it was an easy and clear process. For me the mentoring process helped me reflect on each of the births I attended, helping me gain some invaluable experience, getting more confident as a doula – a very positive process. The Recognition process helped me becoming a better birth partner/ doula teaching me how to support a variety of births, families and women. It taught me that no woman/family is the same and that we don’t ‘click’ with everyone and that’s okay. It helped me become more confident and gain experience from someone who is already very much into doula work.

Carly Harding-Jones completed her Doula Preparation Course with Birth Bliss in November 2016. Carly began working towards Postnatal Recognition with her Doula Mentor, Zara de Candole, in January 2017, and was Recognised in September 2017.

Zara made me feel positive, welcomed and confident in my ability to get through the mentoring process. She was assertive and informative when I asked questions and voiced my concerns over balancing the process with my own life and family. I walked away without doubt that Zara and I were meant to be together through my mentoring period. If I had an issue she’d give me a bell back or a text swiftly to ask if I was okay, what’s up? On some occasions during this process she went above and beyond giving me time where I was suffering. I knew about the paperwork and I understood why I was about to embark on the mentoring journey. She stated at the start she was there ‘if you have a wobble’ and indeed she was on many occasions without questions. I was aware that I would be needing some support as I approached a job that at the beginning I had very little idea of how it would work with finding clients, interviews, what would be expected of me. Zara put me at ease through all of this. Including numerous conversations about insurance, rates and what I could offer as a doula. Zara was encouraging on many levels, she provided all the details I needed to put my business in place but she also gave me reassurance of what I could offer as Carly. I never doubted that if I needed her assistance with something that I could call on her for all the right words. Zara always used open questions to help me explore my own answers and in return it gave me a lot more fulfilment. A lot of my journey involved confidence and self-belief, I’m not sure I would have been able to get to this point without Zara’s support.

Would you like to share your experience of becoming a Recognised Doula with Doula UK? Please email your feedback, or any questions, to mentoring@doula.org.uk 

Or click here to learn more about joining Doula UK