Friday, 6 November 2026
Perinatal and infant mental health is a public health priority – and Family Hubs are increasingly at the forefront of supporting babies, parents and families during the critical first 1,001 days and working in an integrated way with health partners.
Yet, as the complexity of need continues to grow and mental health conditions remain the leading cause of death in the postnatal period, many services are asking an important question: do we have the specialist knowledge and skills within our workforce to identify concerns early, provide safe and effective support, and improve outcomes? Against this backdrop, investing in perinatal and infant mental health expertise within the workforce is essential to delivering high-quality, joined-up family support.
To help strengthen workforce capability, the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) has launched its new Best Start in Life Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (PIMH) Training Brochure today, providing Best Start in Life Family Hub colleagues with a comprehensive guide to the specialist training opportunities available through the iHV.
The brochure brings together details of the iHV's PIMH training suite, designed to strengthen practitioners' knowledge, confidence, and skills in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of babies, parents, and families during the critical early years. Covering a range of learning opportunities, the training supports professionals to deliver evidence-informed, compassionate care that helps give every child the best possible start in life.
The new brochure offers an accessible resource for managers, commissioners, and practitioners seeking high-quality professional development opportunities for their teams. The PIMH training suite provides a flexible range of training options, including 1-day and 2-day Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (PIMH) courses, Fathers' Perinatal Mental Health training, and LGBTQI+ and PIMH training. Training can be delivered directly to teams, or organisations can develop in-house expertise by training practitioners as Champions to sustainably cascade iHV programmes across their workforce.
By investing in PIMH training, organisations can help ensure that their workforce is equipped to recognise and respond to the emotional and relational needs of infants and their caregivers, supporting stronger family relationships and improved outcomes for children.
Eileen Perrins, iHV Lead for Perinatal & Infant Mental Health, shared:
“We are incredibly excited to launch this brochure today as it puts valuable training opportunities directly into the hands of Family Hub teams. Investing in practitioners' skills and confidence is one of the most powerful ways we can improve outcomes for babies and families. The iHV has a longstanding history of delivering multi-agency training and hope this brochure can highlight the value in shared knowledge, language and evidence-based approaches to care across the system to ensure equitable and high-quality PIMH support for all families.”
Eileen Perrins, iHV Perinatal & Infant Mental Health Lead
The Best Start in Life PIMH Training Brochure is now available and serves as a valuable resource for Family Hub colleagues looking to enhance the support they provide to families across their communities. Please take a look at what’s on offer, share widely with colleagues and reach out to the iHV team for further information: [email protected]