Read this thoughtful early years paper published in the latest Child & Family Clinical Psychology Review by our PIP partner LIVPIPs Clinical Director Michael Galbraith 'Delivering psychological services for children and families in early years mental health and emotional settings'.

Summary:

Good psychological services for families with babies and preschool children will:

1. Have good connections with antenatal services to support the identification and referral of families where there is a lack of positive relationship with baby in utero, and to support maternity services in managing the emotional processes in pregnancy and birth.
2. Have strong working relationships with health visiting, child care and social care services to share expertise at considering the social and emotional needs of babies and toddlers.
3. Provide a range of interventions (with individual families and groups, helping parents process past relational trauma and connect with their baby), always with a focus on the relationship with baby, using video feedback and behavioural interventions amongst others, taking the family’s cultural background into account.
4. Have accessible services offered in children’s centres and families’ homes.
5. Have ways of evaluating services according to professional and service user perspectives, and including parents’ views in service development and delivery.