Our service supports families who are struggling in their early attachment relationship and/or parents who struggle with their mental health/emotional wellbeing. The service supports parents to develop a secure attachment with the infant using a strength-based model of psychotherapeutic interventions. We know from research and experience that secure parent-infant bond and attachment is a key and protective factor in the development and improvement of parent-infant mental health in the perinatal period.
Our service supports families who are struggling in their early attachment relationship and/or parents who struggle with their mental health/emotional wellbeing. The service supports parents to develop a secure attachment with the infant using a strength-based model of psychotherapeutic interventions. We know from research and experience that secure parent-infant bond and attachment is a key and protective factor in the development and improvement of parent-infant mental health in the perinatal period.
The service puts the relationships and mental health of vulnerable families first, and tailors provision to fit each family’s needs. Engagement and offering the best quality support is always top priority and overarches all of our aims and objectives. Our model of care lies behind our 96% engagement rate of engaging and supporting families who are often described as ‘difficult to engage’ and who are often at risk of ‘falling through the gaps in services’.
Knowsley Parent Infant Mental Health Service works as part of a multi-disciplinary team and here lies one of our key strengths. We work in collaboration with the specialist Public Health Midwives during the ante-natal period to help ensure that specialist interventions are offered at the earliest opportunity.
This collaborative work is crucial in achieving the high engagement rate of 96%. It is not common practice for Clinical Psychologists/Mental Health professionals to work jointly with Public Health Midwives. Our MDT model of care helps to narrow the gap between mental health services and statutory services in providing a patient centred, seamless, specialist care/provision. In addition, we are based in the heart of the community within Knowsley Children’s Centres where we offer joint, specialist therapeutic interventions for families which enables a ‘step up and step down model of care’. It is our aim to remain as an outreach, easy to engage, accessible service for families in the community of Knowsley.
We work closely with other multidisciplinary partner agencies/professionals to deliver a holistic approach to supporting parental mental health and parent-infant attachment. These services include: Housing, Adult Mental Health, Centre 63/community support, Nurseries, Social Care, Family First/Early Intervention Social Care, and the Perinatal Mental Health Teams.
The interagency and partnership model of care of Perinatal Clinical Psychologists and Public Health Midwives working jointly and collaboratively together is what has enabled successful engagement, the building of positive and trusting therapeutic relationships, and has opened the door to other professionals being able to access and support for vulnerable families in Knowsley. As a result of the excellent communication and relationships that we have built with our multi-disciplinary professionals we are able to work collaboratively and provide a system of support that our most vulnerable families in Knowsley desperately need to breakthrough in the perinatal period.
In addition, the service works collaboratively with Knowsley’s Health Visiting and Adult and Child Mental Health Services. As a result of good multi-agency and partnership working, Knowsley Parent and Infant Mental Health Service is now part of North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Perinatal and Health Visitors Early Attachment Pathway.
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Please see link and password below for the short 18 minute video showcasing the service (formerly Building Bonds): https://vimeo.com/180001071 Password: buildingbonds.
