8th June 2016
Jo Howes, FiHV
Better Start Bradford – Helping our parents understand they are really important in providing positive brain building experiences for our children
As a Fellow of the iHV and Child Health Specialist at Better Start Bradford, I have an amazing opportunity to promote Infant Mental Health Awareness Week 2016. The difference we can make to families and those working with them by bringing some of the messages of building babies’ brains to the forefront of their minds in a week of activities.
Sohann enjoying the activities for #IMHAW16 by Better Start Bradford
Key messages for Infant Mental Health Week
Working in an environment with a range of partners from children’s centre staff, and the volunteers they work with, to health visitors and GPs with universal access to our families, here in Better Start Bradford we are in a fortunate position to help deliver some key messages and ensure that they are conveyed to our community in a way that is meaningful for them.
During this week we are taking the messages to the families, from the importance of story-telling with your infant to the differences we can make from the exposure our children have to a variety of both positive and negative experiences. Better Start Bradford is a community led partnership and it is our community that can help us spread the message of how to help our babies be active, creative, healthy and happy.
Rozalin and Krikor enjoying the story telling by Better Start Bradford for #IMHAW16
Excellent support and resources
The iHV has been and continues to be an excellent source of support and expertise for both myself and my fellow health visitors in Bradford. Through the training we have been offered and the continual support from the iHV and its resources, we are able to embrace the perinatal mental health and infant mental health work with our families. Health visitors are vital in supporting parents to be mind-minded in their approach to family life.
