In 2016 the Wessex Clinical Network for Perinatal Mental Health (PNMH) undertook an audit of the whole PNMH pathway, including midwifery, health visiting, GPs, Commissioning, Voluntary sector and Specialist PNMH services. The audit results highlighted Infant Mental Health as an area which needed further attention from the Network as it produced low (poor) scores across a number of the domains within the tool.

The findings reflect the picture for Infant Mental Health services across the UK where there is little mental health provision for children aged 2 and under. As a consequence of this finding the Clinical Network decided to make Infant Mental Health a priority area for 2018/19 and, as part of the work, commissioned this mapping exercise to identify statutory and voluntary services across Wessex which worked wholly or partly to enhance Infant Mental Health.

This document was originally published in September 2019 and covers the Wessex region only. However, despite our geography changing, the learning and recommendations from this document are still relevant to the current national Long Term Plan deliverables, and so it has been re-badged for South East Clinical Delivery and Networks.

Published: July 2021