Support for partners, carers, and families
Search the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust website
Support for partners, carers, and families
When mothers are unwell we know the whole family are affected.
We know Mothers who are well supported by their family are likely to recover more quickly.
Partners and other family members have to manage their own worries about the mother, cope with changing relationships, and deal with other people’s concerns and questions.
Partners and family may take on additional childcare and household tasks, alongside their other commitments. Which can cause considerable stress.
Some partners and other family members are also dealing with their own mental health difficulties.
Online support including peer support
- Dads Net - www.thedadsnet.com
- LGBT Foundation - lgbt.foundation
- PANDAS Foundation - www.pandasfoundation.org.uk
- PND&Me - pndandme.co.uk - PND&Me Twitter - @PNDandMe
- The Birth Trauma Association (BTA) - www.birthtraumaassociation.org.uk
- Action on post partum psychosis - www.app-network.org - www.app-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Postpartum-Psychosis-a-Guide-for-Partners.pdf
Family Action
www.family-action.org.uk - Support and practical help for families affected by mental illness. It offers support to parents of children under 5 whose mental health is affecting their ability to provide safe parenting.
Sure Start Children’s Centre
www.gov.uk/find-sure-start-childrens-centre - Sure Start offer lots of services for mums, dads and carers and have many centres across the county. A Parents' Forum is a group of mums, dads and carers who get together with a member of the Children’s Centre community development team to be a voice for the community and represent other parents. Mums, dads and carers tell us they enjoy meeting other carers and having the chance to chat while their children are playing. They also told us the meetings are fun and provide a chance to relax, be listened to and make a difference. Mums, dads and carers who have attended the Parents' Forum tell us they get more confident about what they can do. They may attend training, courses or become volunteers. Several mentioned the chance to run their own activities and create special events for local families was very rewarding.
Dads Matter UK
www.dadsmatteruk.org. - Mark Williams and Chris Bingley have joined together to launch Dads Matter UK. Their aim is to raise awareness amongst dads and to encourage open discussion and disclosure of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress during the 1001 Critical Days from Conception to Age 2. This is a crucial time when parental behaviours and attitudes (Mental Health) impact upon the development of the child. Chris and Mark are passionately committed to the same cause, but from different view-points and for different reasons, and they aim to challenge and change the stigma associated with mental health, specifically Postnatal Depression (PND) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Carers Council
Contact: Judith Machin
Tel: 0115 917902
Email: judith.machin@ntlworld.com
The Carers' Council is a charity offering support across Nottinghamshire including the City, to family, friends and carers of those experiencing mental distress. We provide someone to talk to about their experiences, information, advice, links with local mental health carers' groups, monthly committee meetings open to all members, quarterly Open Meetings with speakers and social activities, plus an outing each year, quarterly newsletter with topical information and details of forthcoming events and outings.
Carers Federation
Tel: 0115 985 8485
Email: info@carersfederation.co.uk
Information and support for carers, former carers and carer groups across the county. Advocacy (speaking on a person's behalf to a third party), benefits advice and free counselling are available to both adults and child carers under 18 years of age.
Carer Support Service, Nottingham City
Tel: 0115 948 3268
Email: cswc@nottshc.nhs.uk
Support, information and Carer Assessments to people who care for someone who uses 'secondary' adult mental health services, living in the City. Access depends on completion of a referral form; please contact for further information.
Online support for children about parental mental health
My mum has a dodgy brain
Produces by Devon Partnership NHS Trust. This is a film for children who have a parent with a mental health disorder.
Leaflets for children of parents admitted to mental health wards
Produced by South London and Maudsley NHSFoundation Trust). These are age-appropriate stories & written information to support caregivers to start conversations with children.
Mummy is poorly
Produced by Zoe Robinson. This is a children’s story about a little girl whose mother has mental health difficulties, intended to help parents start up conversations with children and also to remind professionals of the need to engage with patients’ children.
Someone in my family has a mental illness
Produced by Lyne Brindamour. This is a workbook for children wherea family member has a mental health difficulty which can be completed with the support of parents or health professionals.
My Mummy and Me: All about Perinatal Mental Health Problems
Produced by Royal Collage Psychiatrists. This is a workbook for young children (around 3-9 years) to help them understand maternal mental health disorders around the time of a sibling’s birth. It can be purchased online.
Rate this page or report a problem
