MOTHERS BENEFITING FROM THE STUDENT-LED WELLNESS CENTRE

CARE AS PARTNERSHIP

Creating opportunities for mothers to access support through a student-led wellness environment that connects learning, service and community wellbeing.

Led by: IPEU — Dr Luzaan Africa & Prof Gerard Filies

01 | Context

The project emerged organically from the weekly interprofessional clinical supervision sessions at the Wellness Centre. Through these discussions, students and supervisors recognised that mothers of children with disabilities who attended the Centre found comfort in being around other mothers experiencing similar situations.This highlighted a need for a space where mothers could connect with one another, share their experiences and receive support from others who understood aspects of their journeys. In response, social work students initiated a mothers' support group within the Wellness Centre.

02 | Engagement

The project brings together mothers of children with disabilities, social work students, occupational therapy students and professionals, the Wellness Centre, and NGOs in the community.The social work students initiated the support group, while the workshops and activities are offered through collaboration between occupational therapists and social workers. Partnerships with community NGOs, including Autism Connect, have further created opportunities to host events for mothers.The mothers themselves are central to the engagement. The group creates a space in which they can share their experiences, support one another and learn more about the conditions with which their children have been diagnosed.

03 | Our Approach

The project created a safe and supportive space for mothers of children with disabilities to come together. Through the support group, mothers are encouraged to share their experiences and uplift one another.In partnership with NGOs in the community, events have also been held where mothers could spend time together, learn more about their children's conditions and participate in activities designed specifically for them.The project was driven in 2025 by a fourth-year Social Work student, Carmen, and has since been continued by other students working at the Wellness Centre. This has allowed the initiative to continue beyond the involvement of its original student driver.

04 | Learning, Teaching, Research

The support group creates a strong connection between clinical supervision, student learning, research and community engagement.The need for the group emerged from discussions during weekly interprofessional clinical supervision, demonstrating how student learning and reflection on practice can identify opportunities for new forms of community engagement. Social work students took this learning forward by initiating the support group, while occupational therapists and social workers contribute to workshops and activities.The project is also connected to research. One of Dr Luzaan Africa's master's students is exploring the support needs of mothers of children with disabilities. Preliminary findings from this work are being woven into the content of the first-year Primary Health Care module, where students learn about the determinants of health, the influence of social and community networks, and the impact of these factors on individual health.The Wellness Centre then provides a space where students can apply this learning in practice.

05 | Impact

The project created a space where mothers of children with disabilities could come together and find comfort in the presence of others in similar situations. The support group provides opportunities for mothers to share their experiences, support and uplift one another, and learn more about the conditions affecting their children.

The initiative has also created opportunities for students to translate learning and reflection into action. What began with discussions during clinical supervision developed into a student-driven support initiative that has continued beyond the involvement of its original student driver.

The work has further contributed to the academic project by connecting emerging research on mothers' support needs with teaching in the Primary Health Care module and opportunities for students to apply their learning at the Wellness Centre.

06 | Evidence

The mothers provide regular qualitative feedback following the support group sessions, offering important insight into their experiences and the value of the programme. As reflected in this evaluation, one mother described feeling “inspired” and “motivated”, noting that the sessions provided a safe space in which mothers could feel comfortable sharing their experiences and discussing their needs. She also described the sessions as beneficial to her mental health, providing an opportunity to “talk about things you don’t get to share with anyone else.” Her feedback further highlights the value of shared support and experience, describing how the group can make a difference in daily life and recommending that others participate. Such feedback demonstrates the importance of creating a space where mothers can connect, support one another and feel heard, while also providing an ongoing opportunity for the student team to reflect on and improve the sessions.

Evaluation: A mother's feedback following a session

07 | Reflection

The project demonstrates how clinical supervision can become a space for identifying and responding to community needs. Through regular discussions about the experiences of mothers attending the Wellness Centre, students and supervisors recognised an opportunity to create a supportive space that extended beyond the treatment of individual children.The work has evolved from recognising that mothers found comfort in one another's presence to the establishment of a student-driven support group, partnerships with community NGOs and events that provide opportunities for connection, sharing and learning.The project has also developed links across the academic function. Insights from practice have informed student-led engagement, while research into mothers' support needs is beginning to inform teaching. The Wellness Centre, in turn, provides a space where students can apply what they learn about social and community networks and their influence on health.The continuation of the project by subsequent students reflects how an initiative developed by one student can become part of the ongoing work of the Wellness Centre.

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