The following tools have been developed by the Mums and Babies in Mind team for leaders working in perinatal mental health including: maternity services and GPs, commissioning, health visiting, midwifery, FNP, specialist perinatal mental health services, community and children’s services, adult mental health services, CAMHS and the voluntary and community sector.
Please download the tools, use them and send your feedback to SHogg@mentalhealth.org.uk
If you have used the Pathway Assessment Tool please give us your feedback here: complete short questionnaire
11. MABIM Masterclass Leaders’ Top Tips 7. Keeping the Baby in Mind
What is it? Keeping the Baby in Mind is a critical element of good perinatal mental health care across the system. It is critically important that professionals are able to identify any problems in the mother-infant relationship and to secure timely and effective support for families.
What is it for? This Top Tips report explores the importance of understanding and responding to the needs of babies alongside mothers’ mental health.
How can it be used? Commissioners, providers and clinicians can use these top tips and first hand insights when developing and improving perinatal mental health services across the whole pathway of care.
Please tweet and share the report with anyone who might find it useful.
10. MABIM Masterclass Leaders’ Top Tips 6: Making Change Happen, leadership, improvement and how to make a difference
What is it? The sixth masterclass, in January 2018, was different to previous events. Rather than focusing on a specific aspect of perinatal mental illness and service delivery, this report shows how leaders can make a difference in their services and systems.
What’s it for? This report is for anyone who wants to use their passion for perinatal mental health to deliver real change for women and their families.
How can it be used? Commissioners, providers and clinicians can use these top tips and first hand insights when developing and improving perinatal mental health services across the whole pathway of care.
Please tweet and share the report with anyone who might find it useful.
9. MABIM Masterclass Leaders’ Top Tips 5: Reaching all communities affected by perinatal mental illness
What is it? This short report captures the key messages from our fifth masterclass which was on reaching all communities affected by perinatal mental illness.
What is it for? This report examines the huge diversity among those affected by perinatal mental illness, and looks at how we reach and support ALL parents and families affected, including those who are marginalised, have additional needs and/or fall outside ‘normal’ pathways of care.
How can it be used? Commissioners, providers and clinicians can use these top tips and first hand insights when developing and improving perinatal mental health services across the whole pathway of care.
Please tweet and share the report with anyone who might find it useful.
8. MABIM Masterclass Leaders’ Top Tips 4: User Insight and Engagement
What is it? This short report captures the key messages from our fourth masterclass event which was on the role of user insight and experience when developing services.
What is it for? The document contains top tips from our expert speakers on including women’s voices in relation to the development and improvement of perinatal mental health pathways and services. The value of the voice from experience cannot be overestimated. The impact of timely, effective, compassionate care ultimately makes the difference between a supported and rapid recovery, or the potential for years of suffering by both mother, infant, and wider family.
How can it be used? Commissioners, providers and clinicians can use these top tips and first hand insights when developing and improving perinatal mental health services across the whole pathway of care.
Please tweet and share the report with anyone who might find it useful.
7. MABIM Masterclass Leaders’ Top Tips 3: Midwives and health visitors in perinatal mental health
What is it? This short report captures the key messages from our third masterclass event which was on the role of midwives and health visitors in perinatal mental health services.
What is it for? The document contains top tips from our expert speakers who work as midwives and health visitors within perinatal mental health. The importance of the specialist role is included. It provides information and examples of how important the roles are within perinatal mental health and the way the specialist role can be valuable for the wider team.
How can it be used? Commissioners, providers and clinicians can use the top tips to learn lessons from those who have experience in midwifery and health visiting and how these roles can be enhanced to provide specialist support in perinatal mental health care. Please tweet and share the report with anyone who might find it useful.
6. Tackling Stigma: postcards and posters
These resources were produced by NHS organisations and partners in Gloucestershire, in order to raise awareness of perinatal mental health issues, tackle stigma and signpost to useful sources of support. They have been distributed in public buildings and are used by health professionals, including midwives and health visitors. If you would like to find out more about the materials please email 2gnft.comms@nhs.net.
5. Twitter Tutorial: Using Twitter for Perinatal Mental Health
Laura Wood is a mum with lived experience who campaigns for better perinatal mental health. Laura has put together this tutorial to help professionals working in the sector to make the most of Twitter for perinatal mental health.
4. MABIM Masterclass Leaders’ Top Tips 2: Commissioning Perinatal Mental Health Services
What is it? This short report captures the key messages from our second masterclass event which was on commissioning perinatal mental health services.
What is it for? The document contains top tips from our expert speakers who have experience in commissioning. It provides insights and ideas for anyone who is involved in commissioning perinatal mental health services or who wants to understand more about the commissioning process.
How can it be used? Commissioners, providers and clinicians can use the top tips to learn lessons from those who have had experience in commissioning perinatal mental health services. Please tweet and share the report with anyone who might find it useful.
3. Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Community Teams: Toolkit and Leader’s Top Tips
3.1 Toolkit: Developing a Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Community Service
What is it? The toolkit is a set of 17 documents, templates and tools (including job descriptions, letters, referral forms and planning templates) from existing perinatal mental health community services. They have been provided by services in Hampshire, Berkshire and Devon.
What is it for? Anyone setting up or running a specialist perinatal mental health service can use the toolkit to get ideas and inspiration for their own resources. We hope to share learning and prevent people ‘reinventing the wheel.’
How can it be used? These resources can be copied or adapted by other specialist community teams who are looking to create or improve the resources and tools they use.
If what I need isn’t there? Ask the MABIM team – we may be able to find it and add it to the toolkit. if you have something you think would be worth adding please email SHogg@mentalhealth.org.uk
3.2 MABIM Masterclass Leaders’ Top Tips 1: Developing a Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Community Service
What is it? This short report captures the key messages from our masterclass event on developing specialist perinatal mental health community services.
What is it for? The document contains top tips from our expert speakers who have experience in developing and leading specialist services. It provides insights and ideas for anyone on the journey to setting up a successful community service.
How can it be used? Commissioners, providers and clinicians can use the top tips to learn lessons from existing perinatal mental health community services. Please tweet and share the report with anyone who might find it useful.
2. MABIM Baby Scenarios
What is it? This list of scenarios – described from a baby’s point of view – is a discussion tool to help you to review the services that exist in your area for women with perinatal mental illness and their families, and whether services are equipped to identify risks and issues when they arise.
What is it for? To help you to understand and review the services and pathways for vulnerable women and their babies.
How can it be used? We suggest that you review the scenarios in small multiagency groups. For each one, consider:
- what would happen for this baby and his/her family in your area?
- Who would know they were struggling/at risk?
- What help would they receive?
- Is this good enough?
1. Pathway Assessment Tool
What is it? This is a tool to help local partners rate their local offer against national standards to identify strengths and gaps where more work is needed. The tool has seven themed worksheets, which each set out key standards for perinatal mental health services and pathways that should ideally exist in each local area.
What is it for? To help local partners to understand the quality and sufficiency of the services that exist in their area for women with perinatal mental illness and their families.
How can it be used? We suggest that local partners look through the worksheets and assess the extent to which you meet the standards shown. If you rate your area from 0-5 on each standard, this will generate a traffic light rating for each standard. Ratings are also averaged to give an overall picture of your local pathways.
For other resources and research related to perinatal mental health, please see the Resources section.
GET IN TOUCH
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Sally Hogg, Strategic Lead shogg@mentalhealth.org.uk
Fiona Salter, Communications Lead fsalter@mentalhealth.org.uk
Phone: 020 7803 1141
Dr Alain Gregoire – Clinical Lead, Mums and Babies in Mind
Sally Hogg is the Strategic Lead for MABIM. Sally has wide-ranging expertise in how interventions, services and policies can support families to improve their mental health and wellbeing, particularly during pregnancy and infancy. She has experience of service design, implementation science, delivery and scale up, developed through a variety of roles in government and in the voluntary sector. 
