The Scottish Government has launched a Wellbeing for Wee Ones Campaign on Parent Club which is aimed at parents of young babies and seeks to:
- Illustrate how interacting with babies from the moment they’re born is so important for their child’s brain development.
- Reassure parents that the natural interactions they already have with their babies are having a huge impact on their emotional and social wellbeing, now and into the future.
In developing the campaign materials, the Scottish Government Marketing team consulted with key stakeholders and conducted creative testing focus groups with parents. The campaign has been branded as Wellbeing for Wee Ones as this is language that will be accessible to parents This work sits within the wider remit of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board.
Attached is a summary document for practitioners and health/social care professionals which includes:
- A campaign overview, including the background work and research done for this campaign.
- Guidance on how to approach the subject with parents.
- Resources for supporting parents during the early years.
- Resources for health professionals on this topic.
Action required of Maternity, Family Nurse Partnership, Health Visiting, Mental Health and GP services. We ask that you:
- Raise awareness of Infant Mental Health across all relevant practitioners;
- Encourage practitioners to use the campaign as an opportunity to start conversations with parents about their infant’s emotional and social wellbeing;
- Signpost parents to the new Wellbeing for Wee Ones hub on the Parent Club website and other helpful resources (see Page 3 – Support for parents); and
- Utilise the campaign to support practitioners to access Infant Mental Health training (Page 4).
For further information please contact:
Irene Permaul
Senior Policy Advisor
Perinatal and Early Years Mental Health Team
Scottish Government
Email: [email protected]
