Catherine Haines, Enquiries Manager, tells us about her role at NCT, what the Enquiries Team do and why you might want to call 0300 330 0700…
I was born in Pembrokeshire in Wales and moved to the West Country to study. I now live in a small village in North Somerset with my husband and two sons. The house was a complete wreck when we bought it and now I’m pretty good at DIY.
I love to cook and bake. I’ve recently got back into running and try and manage a run before work. I’m also a box set junkie and will binge watch until the end. I’ve just finished six seasons of The Good Wife!
Like a lot of people, I used to think NCT just provided antenatal classes. It was only when I was preparing for my interview as Enquiries Manager that I discovered how much more NCT offered.
I used to think NCT just provided antenatal classes.
That’s when I started to volunteer. It was a real learning curve being involved with my local Nearly New Sales and seeing the volume of work involved in organising them.
It was also great to volunteer at the baby feeding and changing tent at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta with my branch. Parents were so grateful to have a clean, dry space for them and their children.
As Enquiries Manager, I need to know about almost all aspects of the charity and make sure that my team are kept up to date with the information they need to fulfil their role.
I work closely with all teams, especially the volunteering team.
I also oversee the management of NCT’s helplines, which includes the feeding line, pregnancy and birth, and postnatal line. I make sure that those working on the line are up-to-date and that the line remains operational.
A big part of my role is looking at improvements to the service we offer. If you have any suggestions then please email me: catherine.haines@nct.org.uk.
We manage both e-mail and phone enquiries about anything and everything to do with NCT – from calls about membership, volunteering or branches to emails about courses; the list is endless. We’re a small team so it’s always busy.
A friendly, supportive and efficient response. Our response time for e-mails is usually within 48hrs. Voice messages are picked up throughout the day and are usually actioned within a few hours.
The team are very knowledgeable, but they don’t know everything. If we’re unsure we’ll try our best to find someone that does know the answer.
There is a misconception that the team are trained specialists. We get calls from expectant or new mums seeking specific medical advice for themselves or their baby. In these cases, the team will signpost to the most suitable support group or website, which offers relevant help and guidance.
We often get calls for another NCT – Nottingham City Transport! This is the rare occasion when we’re not able to help.
We also had a call from the police once as a handbag had been handed into a local police station. There were no bank cards, just an NCT membership card. The team contacted the member to tell her that her bag had been found. She was so relieved, she screamed down the phone and woke her two month old baby up!
A new dad of premature twins got in touch. His wife and new babies were in hospital but really wanted to come home.
Mum was breastfeeding and she wanted to continue to do so but they needed a hospital grade breast pump. One of the team got in touch with a local agent but the pump was out on hire. The pump was available to buy but cost was a barrier for the family.
We got in touch with the pump supplier to see if they had a pump available and whether they could offer a discount. A few phone calls later, a pump was sourced free of charge and was in the post for next day delivery.
NCT’s helpline offers practical and emotional support in all areas of pregnancy, birth and early parenthood: 0300 330 0700.
