Featured in: ‘The Con: Kaitlyn’s Baby, about one young woman’s desperate and dangerous scam Podcast by Sarah Treleaven‘
Professional training:
Working Safely Online as a Birthworker
Including: Cons, Hoaxs, Catfish – how to avoid being duped by individuals pretending to be pregnant, in labour or having a baby
This is an online course for Doulas and Birthworkers in how to work safely when working with clients ‘online’ and in particular covers Hoax/Catfish and how to be aware of scams. This course has been created after real life experience of being duped by a prolific hoaxer in the UK, and draws on the stories of other Birthworkers around the UK and the World. Most recently, media coverage by the CBC and BBC World Podcast by Sarah Treleaven of ‘The Con: Kaitlyn’s Baby, about one young woman’s desperate and dangerous scam. I created this course after being duped back in 2020 for a period of approximately 3 months, and was interviewed by Sarah Treleaven for the Podcast which was released January 2025.
The course is approved by Doula UK as CPD.
The course is currently being updated and will be available from February 2025. You can register your interest by emailing: doulavibe@gmail.com. The course will be £35 to complete.
Whats covered?:
- Working Virtually / Digitally / Online – Is it right for you?
- Things to consider – The benefits to you and your clients
- How to reassure your clients when working from a distance
- How to stay safe as a ‘lone worker’ in the online world
- Who are you are talking to? Key Steps to protect your safety & collect/offer ID
- Enquiries, how to deal with these from various sources
- ‘Digital Birthworker’ contracts
- My story of a hoax client / Other Birthworkers stories
- Social Media ‘Red flags’, fake profiles, reporting these to FB/Insta etc
- Your safety when accepting friend or follow requests
- Potential characteristics of a Hoax enquiry