New staff needed to deliver innovative new service

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) has today launched a recruitment drive for staff to help deliver a new specialist service to provide targeted help for women with complex mental health problems.

NSFT was recently awarded nearly £2.5m to develop the Community Perinatal Mental Health Service to care for pregnant women and new mothers with serious mental health difficulties, as well as providing support for the rest of the family and training for other healthcare professionals.

And the recruitment drive coincides with Children’s Mental Health Week that aims to raise awareness of issues which, as early as during pregnancy, can have an impact on the mental health and wellbeing of children and a lifelong impact on their everyday life.

The new service will provide care and support for people with conditions such as severe post-natal depression and will also offer pre-conception counselling to women who already have a mental health condition. Its aim will be to provide timely support which is specially-tailored to meet each person’s individual needs.

The funding was awarded after figures showed an estimated 500 women in Norfolk and Waveney have severe perinatal mental health need, with a further 3,000 to 5,000 with mild to moderate needs. Currently, these women receive care from midwives, health visitors and secondary mental health services.

Now, the Trust is recruiting a wide-ranging specialist team of consultant psychiatrists, mental health nurses, a psychologist, occupational therapist, social worker, nursery nurse and administrators.

Michael Scott, Chief Executive of NSFT, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have received this funding, which will transform the care which mums-to-be and new mothers with mental health difficulties receive.

“This will allow them to bond more successfully with their baby, strengthening the family unit and ensuring their child gets the best possible start in life.”

Andy Goff, Locality Operations Manager, for NSFT’s Children’s, Families and Young People’s services (Norfolk and Waveney) said: “We are delighted to be able to build on the already great multi agency work going on in Norfolk to support new mothers and their families and this investment demonstrates the confidence the commissioners have in the Norfolk system.

“The new team will work collaboratively with already established teams and providers and can only enhance existing services. The additional capacity and range of skills this will bring, will help transform the system and allow greater access.

“Working with Get Me Out The Four Walls, a local charity that will offer support to new mums, will enhance the service by making sure mothers voices are heard and will be central to the design.”

For more details on the recruitment email Shoky Carter shoky.carter@nsft.nhs.uk and all positions will be advertised on NHS Jobs.

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