New Parent and Infant Relationship service launched in Wakefield

Posted on: Tuesday 23 Jul 2024

Members of the PAIR Team with a display showing information on the service

A new service supporting parents and carers to build stronger relationships with their babies has launched in Wakefield.

The Parent and Infant Relationship (PAIR) team, which is part of the Wakefield Growing Healthy 0-19 Service, will work with expectant parents and parents or carers with babies up to two years old.

A nurturing and strong relationship with a parent is vitally important in helping a baby get off to the best start in life. Having a baby can be intense and demanding and parents can feel overwhelmed, vulnerable and stressed.  The PAIR team will work with mums and dads who are struggling with the new responsibilities as a parent, to help them to overcome the challenges they face and develop a positive relationship with their child.

The PAIR team consists of a Parent and Infant Psychotherapist, Specialist Health Visitors, Staff Nurse, and Family Peer Supporters, and can help parents by offering, advice, one to one support, or group sessions with other parents or carers.

The new service has been developed in partnership across Wakefield including Wakefield Families Together, Talking Therapies and Wakefield Home Start, to ensure parents can access the support they need.

Mum holding her smiling baby face to face

Jayne Fisher, Joint Clinical Lead for the PAIR team said: “Whilst many people find developing a positive, healthy relationship with their baby comes naturally, being a parent isn’t always easy.

“Lots of things can affect how parents feel about their baby and themselves as a parent. This can be challenging and sometimes people need help and support.

“When parents and carers tune-in and respond to their babies’ needs sensitively, in an appropriate and timely way, it lays the foundations for lifelong mental and physical health. It can help a child to grow up feeling safe and secure and ready to play, explore and learn. It helps them to develop the skills to understand and manage their emotions and behaviour, and feel confident in themselves and develop trusting relationships with others.

“Our new free PAIR service offers a friendly, safe space to help parents overcome any challenges they are facing so that their child can have the best start in life and are able to fulfil their potential.

“We would encourage any parents who are struggling with their feelings towards their baby to speak to their GP, health visitor or midwife about being referred into the PAIR service”.

Sally Smith, Joint Clinical Lead for the PAIR team said: “It’s not easy being a parent or to understand babies’ communication. The PAIR team are excited to work with families and professionals to enable us all to better understand what our babies are telling us and therefore meet their needs sensitively and responsively.”

Dad laid with his baby face to face

Melanie Robinson, Children’s Commissioner at Wakefield Council said: “Understanding infant mental health is powerful and can help support families through the journey of becoming parents/carers. The newly launched PAIR team will help parents and carers to build their knowledge and understanding about their baby’s uniqueness, building a lifelong bond and trusting relationship so that they can thrive.”

Further information on the PAIR service is available by visiting the Growing Healthy 0-19 Wakefield page on https://hdftchildrenshealthservice.co.uk/ or on the Growing Healthy 0-19 Service App, which can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play by searching for ‘Children’s Health Service-HDFT’.

 

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For further information please contact:

Giles Latham, Communications and Marketing Manager, [email protected] and 01423 557470.

Greg Dawson, Senior Communications and Marketing Officer, [email protected] and 01423 557732.