Perinatal Mental Health and Parent Infant Relationship work strand overview
Support for families regarding their emotional wellbeing and parent-infant relationships has been strengthened by offering community-focused support to parents/carers through a wide range of services.
The Coventry Way
We believe that a healthy and happy parent is vitally important to raise healthy and happy babies and infants. Coventry’s aspiration is for every family to receive the best support for their emotional wellbeing and mental health in the first 1001 days of their parenting experience, i.e from conception to when their child turns two. The mission is to ensure no Coventry parent feels alone in their parenthood journey, as we support and enable families to thrive.
A range of evidence-based programmes has been made available for families, from formal services and peer support on offer to provide support to parents at the right time, by the right service. Workforce development opportunities have also been provided to increase confidence and understanding of how best to support parents’ mental health, wellbeing and promote positive attachment to their babies, across the children’s workforce.
Headlines of progress and impact
There has been a significant increase the perinatal mental health support interventions available to parents in the first 1001 days, and 1,901 parents have accessed support and interventions through physical groups, 1:1 sessions and digital connections and group support during this critical phase. A new specialist Health Visiting Team has been developed, focusing on supporting parents’ early interactions with their baby and infants using Video interaction Guidance (VIG), and a new offer of support to fathers has been activated.
The offer has also included
- Baby massage programme in place and has seen the delivery of sessions being offered to families by a range of partners to promote positive parent infant bonding and interactions
- 14 families have accessed the new Forest School led by specialist health visitors
- Parents In Mind (PIM) peer support groups have taken place in Family Hubs, in community settings and online
- A new perinatal specialism has been developed within the Talking Therapies provision including a new offer to fathers
- MAMTA has supported 135 women from BAME communities with their mental wellbeing
- A new neonatal service of psychological support to families with babies who have needed special care
- Fatherhood Solutions programme in place, with 160 dads having accessed the offer to date. Family Hubs ensure father inclusive practice is embedded across activities