BSW Specialised Community Perinatal Service Support for carers

What is the Specialised Community Perinatal Service?

The period of time when a woman becomes pregnant and up to a year after giving birth is called the perinatal period. We offer specialist assessment and treatment of mental illness for women:

who have longstanding severe mental illnesses and may be at high risk of relapse during the perinatal period,
who have a history of perinatal mental illness or are experiencing this for the first time.

Who are we?

We are a multidisciplinary team made up of mental health nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, nursery nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, peer support workers and mental health support workers. This means we can offer a wide range of skills and knowledge.

What is a carer?

NHS England defines a carer as “Anyone, including children and adults who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid”.

Most carers do not think of themselves to be carers, and say that they are simply being a supportive friend or family member. However, caring roles can sometimes be challenging and many carers do not realise that they can access support for themselves.

What support is there for carers?

All carers have the right to a Carers Assessment. This looks at what your caring role involves, how this is impacting on you, and support available to make your caring role a little easier. These are usually carried out by Local Authorities, but this varies depending on your area.

There are also many voluntary organisations offering support to partners and carers; such as groups, advice, coffee mornings, wellbeing activities, and counselling. This includes support for young carers.

Services vary across BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire, so it is best to ask your loved one’s Care Coordinator or named person about how to access support in your area.

How we work with carers

We recognises the importance of working together with service users and carers to achieve the best possible outcomes. We call this the Triangle of Care. We have also signed up to a Family, Friends and Carers Charter, developed by carers, which outlines how we will work with you. See links for more information:

What can I do to support my loved one?

Many carers we work with worry about how they can support their loved one in the best way. Some of the things that you could do are:

Make sure that you understand your loved one’s diagnosis and what this means for them.
Encourage them to attend appointments and to get the treatment that they need.
Remind them to take care of their own needs such as eating, drinking, washing etc.
Go with them if they are anxious to leave the house, for example, to do shopping.
Do all that you can to help with practical things, such as housework and caring for the baby.
Talk to the person’s care co-ordinator or named person if you have concerns about them or their treatment.
Listen to the mother about how they are feeling. and reassure them that there is help and they are safe.
Take them seriously if they talk about not wanting to be alive or about harming themselves, and make sure that they get urgent support (see back of leaflet).
Make sure you take care of yourself and your mental wellbeing to best support your loved one.

New parents and mental health

Research suggests that it is not only mothers who can become unwell after the birth of a baby. If you are a new father or new adoptive parent and are concerned about your mental health, please talk to your GP.

Useful resources

The Dad Pad – A useful guide for dads, partners or those with parent responsibilities who are experiencing difficulties with their mental health. You can also input your postcode for advice on local support. Go to: https://thedadpad.co.uk / or search ‘Dad Pad’ on Google Play or App Store.

NHS Every Mind Matters – A website that offers tips and advice on mental health and allows you to develop an action plan to improve your mental health and reduce stress. Go to: https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/ for more information.