Reaching all women and their families
We know that not all mothers and their families receive the care they need. For some communities, accessing quality care can be especially difficult, and we know there are additional barriers for women facing multiple disadvantages and systemic inequality.
- We will listen to voices of women facing additional challenges and experiencing inequalities such as domestic abuse, addiction, child removal, contact with the criminal justice system and poverty to influence our future work.
- As part of our Amplifying Maternal Voices project in collaboration with the Mental Health Foundation, we will co-produce a toolkit and disseminate the learning across the sector to improve outcomes.
- Our Make All Care Count campaign will call for ALL women and families across the UK to have equitable access to comprehensive, high-quality PMH care, including and beyond specialist services.
- We will survey new parents to better understand experiences of mental health during pregnancy and after birth, exploring issues of trust and access to support.
- We will champion the rights of all people who face discrimination during pregnancy and after birth.
Raising awareness
We will continue to be the leading voice for the maternal mental health sector. We will:
- Sustain our active relationship with new patron HRH Princess of Wales, including holding an annual public event.
- Commission a nationwide poll to measure public awareness of maternal mental health compared to physical health.
- Convene events and roundtables throughout the year to raise awareness of specific themes impacting on maternal mental health.
Excellent services
We want to see what great services look like. We will publish a briefing on the state of specialist services, including:
Listening to women
We will listen to and amplify seldom heard voices and address the stark differences in outcomes for people who experience discrimination, trauma, and deprivation.
- We will learn about protective factors and stories of hope, as well as where the barriers exist.
- We will continue to listen to the voices of women who have experienced racism and to young mums through our Amplifying Maternal Voices project.
- We will listen to women who have experienced challenges such as domestic abuse and addiction which impact so heavily on maternal mental health.
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