Parents in Mind project: latest update

Find out how our Parents in Mind project is progressing to help us develop a new peer support service for local mums at branch level.

Our Parents in Mind project began in April when the Department of Health awarded us with a grant to pilot a safe, effective and sustainable model of peer support for women experiencing mental health problems in pregnancy and early parenthood.

The project, which will be run with the Institute of Health Visiting, will operate in three areas of England: Coventry and Warwickshire Central, Tower Hamlets and Newham and Runcorn and Widnes.

Between 12 and 16 volunteers will be recruited and trained in each of the three areas, and will go on to deliver individual and group-based peer support in their communities. The project will be embedded within NCT branches, with a strong focus on local partnership working and supporting diverse communities.

Latest developments

Since April, a lot has been happening behind the scenes to get the project off the ground:

  • The Institute of Health Visiting delivered two days of training in perinatal mental health to a group of NCT tutors and practitioners. Some of them are now writing the training for the peer supporters who will be delivering the service locally.
  • The national project manager, Dr Beckie Lang, started in July and will be joined by Sarah Hislam in September to manage the Coventry and Warwickshire groups, the first to be implemented.  The project will start in the other two areas in early 2017.
  • Beckie and Sarah will be at local branch meetings in September to update the local areas and let them know how to get involved and support the local initiative.

Find out more about the project or get in touch with Beckie at mailto:beckie.lang@nct.org.uk.