About ARC
ARC started in 1988, originally as SATFA, and is the only national charity which provides non-directive support and information to parents throughout the antenatal testing process. Our role is to help parents arrive at the most appropriate decision for them in the context of their family life. It is governed by a board of trustees made up of parent members and professionals, and is supported by a medical advisory body and a team of patrons.
ARC offers information and support to parents who are:
- Making decisions before, during and after antenatal tests
- Given a worrying result from a test
- Told their unborn baby has an abnormality
- Having to make painful decisions about the future of the pregnancy
- Dealing with the aftermath of a loss after a diagnosis of fetal abnormality
ARC provides help for parents via:
- a national helpline: Calls and emails answered by trained staff from Monday to Friday 10.00am – 5.30pm
- a national support network: 50 trained volunteers offering telephone support across the UK
- a website
- moderated email support groups: password protected moderated groups for members and a separate group for men
- a range of literature for parents, families and health professionals: Handbooks for parents who are facing a termination and for those continuing after a diagnosis in pregnancy, booklets for bereaved fathers, grandparents and siblings, a booklet on another pregnancy, a handbook for health professionals on supporting parent decision-making, a regular membership newsletter
- professional training: ARC delivers regular interactive study days and workshops to all health professionals involved in screening and testing and its aftermath. These include obstetric clinicians, genetic specialists, sonographers, midwives and specialist nurses, Particularly popular are our days on communication skills and breaking bad news and our advanced day workshop on supporting parents in their decision making. For the last three years we have been commissioned by the UK National Screening Committee to provide tailored training in communication skills to ultrasonographers. These are the practitioners involved in performing pregnancy scans, and are often the first to relate to parents that there is a problem with their unborn baby.
- informing policy: To ensure that our members concerns influence policy the Director of ARC sits on the Fetal Maternal and Child Health Co-ordinating Group (and a number of its sub-groups) of the UK National Screening Committee (NSC) providing guidance to the NHS on antenatal screening.