Parent Infant mental health issues are common and often go undetected, affecting up to 20% of women in the first year after childbirth. Despite clear clinical guidance, many parents are not routinely asked about their emotional wellbeing or their developing relationship with their baby during key contacts, leading to underdiagnosis and missed opportunities for early support.
Access to services during this critical period is also uneven, particularly in areas like North East Lincolnshire, which face high levels of deprivation and poor service connectivity. These barriers can prevent timely, effective support for families in need.
In response, North East Lincolnshire has launched the Growing Well Together (GWT) team as part of the government’s Start for Life programme. Hosted by Navigo, this multi-disciplinary team delivers a needs-led, trauma-informed service to promote healthy parent–infant relationships from pregnancy to age two. The service targets families who may struggle to access traditional provision, including fathers, LGBTQ+ caregivers, and those facing social or emotional difficulties.
Drawing on evidence-based approaches such as COSP, VIG, and NBO, the GWT team aims to improve early relational health by working holistically across systems. Navigo’s parent-infant relationship service provides early intervention and tailored support to parents and caregivers during pregnancy and the early postnatal period. The service is designed to improve parental mental health, parenting confidence, and the quality of parent–infant relationships, with a strong emphasis on accessibility, cultural sensitivity, and engagement with families in high-need areas such as Grimsby and Immingham.
An independent evaluation was commissioned to assess the service’s reach, effectiveness, and impact, using a mixed-methods design that combined quantitative outcomes with in-depth qualitative insights from users.