1. Supporting the best start in life for children in Northern Ireland
Infant Mental Health
Supporting the best start in life for children in Northern Ireland

2. Aims for today Define infant mental health
Introduce the Infant Mental Health (IMH) Framework for Northern Ireland
Explore developmental delay/disability in context of infant mental health

3. What is Infant Mental Health?
Focus on social & emotional development for infant (0-3) & family
Ability to form relationships
Recognising & expressing emotions
Exploring & learning about their environment in a safe and happy way

4. Underpinning theory
Attachment: strong infant-caregiver bond develops through positive, responsive behaviours; securely attached infants = social & emotional confidence to build relationships & explore world around them
Self-regulation: infant’s ability to regulate own internal emotional states (self-soothing)as a building block for healthy external relationship
Building resilience: linked to self-regulation; Infant’s ability to ‘bounce-back’ & to learn from difficult or traumatic experiences; supports managing adversity in later life.

5. Whole Child Approach to IMH

6. Disability & Developmental Delay
Parental attitude, adjustment and support networks
Complexity of needs
Impact of medical interventions on attachment
IMH knowledge/skills of professionals
Lack of evidence & research

8. ‘Supporting the best start in life’
IMH Framework for NI
‘Supporting the best start in life’

9. Background & Context
: Stakeholder engagement; expert advice & local practice 2012: Auditing IMH training & resources : Gap analysis on training 2015: Formal consultation 2016: Framework launch
Growing body of evidence informing:
Our understanding of how child’s brain develops 0-3 years and;
the impact the emotional world into which they are born has on their future health and well-being.

10. IMH Framework for NI: Vision
The aim of the IMH framework is to ensure that all children have the best start in life by prioritising and supporting the development of positive social and emotional wellbeing

11. IMH Framework: Objectives
Better understanding of social and emotional infant health and importance of attachment
Better skills to positively engage infants and maximise social & emotional development
Better and earlier responses to predictors of vulnerability, delay and emotional distress
Appropriate services, clear referral pathways on an equal basis for all.

12. IMH Framework: Key Priorities
Promote and disseminate evidence and research
Inform workforce development
Inform service development 1 2 3

13. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Core baseline knowledge of IMH
IMH training early in career
Build on investment in Solihull Approach
Support & supervision to embed learning
Continuity of care in service provision
Incorporate IMH into curriculum (PSHE)

14. Solihull Approach: 3 components
Containment
Helping parents process emotions and anxieties that are overwhelming restores parents’ ability to think and enables them to help the child cope with his/her emotions and anxieties. The professional actively listens, putting the story together with the parent, before giving any advice or behaviour management.
Reciprocity
Focuses attention on the attunement between parent and child, enabling the professional to then work with this aspect of the relationship. This help practitioners and parents see how the parents and child interact and improves parental attention to child’s needs.
Behaviour Management
Process of helping parents work with their child’s behaviour. Techniques and strategies are customised together with the family and based on learning from containment and reciprocity.

16. Thinking about IMH and you…
How much of this feels a) new; b) relevant?
What else do you need/want to know?
Are you hungry?

17. Thank you! For more information: dmcaliskey@ncb.org.uk 028 9087 5006
National Children’s Bureau ncbtweets ncbfb