Our Work
What we do
The Federation of Antenatal Educators (FEDANT) regulates Antenatal Educators, Breastfeeding Counsellors and Doulas in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Islands.
What is regulation?
FEDANT is a regulatory body established in accordance with government white paper ‘Trust and Assurance, Regulation in the 21st Century‘, the Federation is a profession regulator for those operating in the field of Antenatal Education outside of the provision by statute. This means that we administer the profession standards Antenatal Educators, Breastfeeding Counsellors and Doulas, are required to meet in their working lives. Registrants adhere to a Code of Ethics and Practice which governs how they work and behave. It is best practice for healthcare professionals to be externally regulated. There are a wide range of professional memberships, organisations and charitable bodies which represent the interests of their membership. Whilst the requirements for membership may be high an educator removed from one body may simply join the next. An educator may hold a range of professional memberships but in the interest of public safety is only permitted one National Register entry.
Standards for education
We administer the profession standards for education, to make sure Antenatal Educators, Breastfeeding Counsellors and Doulas have the right skills and qualities to be entered onto the National Register. It is the role of the regulator to ensure that individuals admitted to the National Register are competent to practice. We also administer the profession standards for Continuing Professional Development. After they initially qualify Antenatal Educators, Breastfeeding Counsellors and Doulas must continually train and take part in learning activities to demonstrate that their skills and knowledge are up to date. For those seeking to enter the professions we regulate FEDANT provide information on accredited education providers. FEDANT Approved Courses have completed the National Course Accreditation and Verification (NCAV) process. This process ensures that accredited courses are operating within agreed parameters and include a set of core elements as defined by the profession. NCAV courses are mapped against the relevant competencies in National Occupational Standards and link where appropriate, with the applicable dimension within the National Institute for Clinical Excellence QS22 Quality Standard for Antenatal Care.
FEDANT National Register
We keep the National Register of Antenatal Educators, Breastfeeding Counsellors, Doulas, and Postnatal Practitioners. In order to be on the register, Antenatal Educators, Breastfeeding Counsellors, Doulas, and Postnatal Practitioners must pay a yearly fee and prove that they fulfil our requirements for keeping their skills and knowledge up to date. The National Register can be searched online.
Complaints and Serious Concerns
If an allegation is made about a FEDANT registrant that they do not meet the standards for skills, education and behaviour that we set, or that there is a problem with their work, we will investigate and, if necessary, act by removing them from the register permanently, or for a set period of time.
Advice and information
There are a range of Antenatal Education Classes/Courses available in the UK. Some types of course cover a wide field of options to great depth whilst other types focus on specific areas such as hypnotherapy, or holistic therapy approaches such as Yoga. We can provide general information on the types of classes. It is recommended that as part of an informed decision making process parents should review options when selecting a class/course.
Communication
FEDANT works closely with professional bodies, charities, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and other Government Regulatory bodies to provide a communication conduit between the professions we regulate and stakeholder bodies in the sector.
FEDANT is a non-profit body and services to parents are free of charge.
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