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Perinatal and Infant Mental Health - Inspiring Scotland

Perinatal and Infant Mental Health

Perinatal and Infant Mental Health

Research has shown that the first 1,001 days of a baby’s life (covering pregnancy and the first two years of life) is a critical time for brain development. Did you know that in the first year, over 1 million connections are formed in the brain every second? 

While the early years can be the most joyous time, they can also be some of the most challenging, with up to 20% of mums and 10% of dads can experience poor mental health in the perinatal period (which covers pregnancy and baby’s first year).  

Inspiring Scotland manages the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund on behalf of the Scottish Government. We work with 32 funded organisations who provide crucial support services for new and expectant parents, carers, infants and families who are experiencing mental health difficulties during the perinatal period, supporting them during this important stage of life.

For more information read our most up-to-date fund report

Take a look at the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Peer Support Evaluation toolkit which has been designed to be a practical guide for organisations who want to design, develop and deliver an evaluation plan for perinatal and infant mental health peer support services.

1 in 5

Up to 1 in 5 mothers experience mental health challenges

1 in 10

Up to 1 in 10 fathers experience mental health challenges

4 years

Runs from August 2020 until September 2024

32

Charities supported

Resources

Inspiring Scotland’s Annual Report 22/23
19.12.2023

Inspiring Scotland’s Annual Report 22/23

Inspiring Scotland’s Annual Report 22/23 provides an overview of the work undertaken to deliver on  strategic priorities and mission to improve the lives of people across Scotland. In the period we supported over 700 organisations across 16 funding programmes worth over £50m. As well as new funding opportunities being created, nine of  programmes  provided vital

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Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund Update Report – September 2023
30.10.2023

Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund Update Report – September 2023

This update from our Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (PIMH) fund follows the stories of families who have been supported by the partner charities. These stories highlight the kind, compassionate approach and life changing impact that the third sector has on families and babies, and shows how the work which is being delivered helps to

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Ullapool Sea Savers
13.09.2023

Ullapool Sea Savers

Janis Patterson of Ullapool Sea Savers tells us about the difference Specialist Volunteering has made to her organisation.

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Funded Services

Action for Children

Action for Children

Action for Children delivers services aimed at young people who are unemployed and who may have other issues restricting their ability to access the job market. OFN investment supports a number of important programmes that improve young people’s ability to move into a positive destination such as Youthbuild, Hospitality, Aiming High and STAY. CashBack for

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Amma Birth Companions

Amma Birth Companions

Amma Birth Companions supports vulnerable women who are facing significant adversity on their journey towards motherhood. This includes mothers who are refugees, asylum seekers and living in poverty. Amma’s birth and mother companions support women before, during and after birth, providing trauma-informed emotional and practical support. Currently operating in Glasgow—with the aim to expand across

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Barnardo’s Scotland

Barnardo’s Scotland

One of the UK’s largest children’s charities, Barnardo’s provide a number of services which include family support, befriending, mentoring, parenting groups and many more. Barnardo’s is supported by CashBack for Communities.  More information is available on the CashBack.scot Barnardo’s East Ayrshire is one of the 13 charities in the Intandem portfolio. For more information see

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News

Putting Infant Mental Health at the forefront with Babies in Scotland conference
09.02.2024

Putting Infant Mental Health at the forefront with Babies in Scotland conference

We kicked off the new year by hosting the first online conference of its kind in Scotland – Infant Mental Health: Babies in Scotland 2024.   This event was in partnership with the Scottish Government and was our biggest event yet with 588 people attending on the day. It was incredible to get that many

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Inspiring Scotland’s Annual Report published
18.12.2023

Inspiring Scotland’s Annual Report published

We are pleased to share our Annual Report 22/23 providing an overview of the work undertaken to deliver on our strategic priorities and mission to improve the lives of people across Scotland. We supported over 700 organisations across 16 funding programmes worth over £50m. As well as new funding opportunities being created, nine of our

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Specialist Volunteer Network at the Gathering
01.12.2023

Specialist Volunteer Network at the Gathering

Earlier this month saw 3,000 people from the third sector attend SCVO’s the Gathering, the largest free voluntary sector event in the UK. Our team were more than attendees, taking part in a collaborative funders session and our Specialist Volunteer Network (SVN) hosted a panel discussion alongside Pilotlight on opportunities for charities to access professional

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