North West Parents in Mind

Parents in Mind offers support to mums and birthing people in the North West as well as a support service for fathers and non-birthing partners in St Helens.

Funded by Halton, Warrington and St Helens integrated care boards, parents can access support using our online referral forms for mothers and birthing people:

Halton

St Helens

Warrington

Volunteers at a NCT Parents in Mind promotional stand

Parents in Mind has given me somewhere to share my thoughts and feelings good or bad, surrounding parenting and self-worth. The positive, supportive, and caring approach of the volunteers is extremely comforting, and I look forward to the group every week

Everyone is amazing and I do not know where I would be right now without you all. Being able to be open and honest and to meet up with different women in the same situation has been so positive for me. I appreciate you all and the positivity you bring to supporting us.

It has been nice to not feel so lonely in the struggles of motherhood, I’ve found having someone you can talk to that feels the same and doesn’t judge you has helped me open up and offload so I always leave lighter ready to take on the week a little better

What support is available?

Support is provided across a range of Children’s Centres, Family Hubs, Community Centres, outdoor spaces and also online via Zoom and WhatsApp (both group and 1-1). Support is tailored to service user preference, and moves gently, but with focus: normalising the difficulties of caring for a baby, decreasing isolation, and empowering parents with resources and information.

Our St Helens programme is also commissioned to deliver the Anna Freud Reflective Parenting course – a psycho-educational programme to enhance bond and attachment, encouraging sensitive and thoughtful parenting.

Project staff Claire and Steph (Halton & Warrington), and Lauren and Kelly (St Helens) are the first point of contact for all enquires – they are at the end of the phone for those interested in support, and are ready to liaise with any of our brilliant local partner organisations to make sure care is ‘joined up’ for our service users.

You can complete a referral form to get in touch with us:

The lads (dads) always take an interest in how we have been feeling and encourage us to express how we deal with things, what could we have done differently and share their experiences too, making us feel that we aren’t the only ones going/been through these types of problems.

Become a Parents in Mind volunteer

Our project is always keen to welcome new volunteers – parents with lived experience of the struggles raising a newborn can bring, who are passionate about supporting the wellbeing of those in the Cheshire/Mersey community navigating these struggles today, and who can give two hours a week, in exchange for free accredited mental health training and the chance to make a transformative impact on the early days of family life.

Become a volunteer

Further information

For information about partnership and commissioning opportunities in this locality, please email our NW Regional Manager Holly Flynn at parentsinmind.nw@nct.org.uk.

Additional support in the North West

Listed below are a handful of other local organisations who work in partnership with Parents in Mind across Halton, St Helens and Warrington, which our service users may also find beneficial at this point in their parenting journey:

Warrington

NHS Talking Therapies (MHM)

Warrington wellbeing

Warrington infant feeding support

Domestic Abuse support

Halton

Think Well-being (IAPT)

Halton Infant feeding team

Maternal Mental Health Service

The service supports local communities to access treatment and care if they’ve experienced loss, distress or trauma during pregnancy and birth. Available across Halton, Warrington & St Helens

The Lullaby Trust: Safe Sleep information & feeding your baby at night