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Are you a healthcare or support professional?

Support for Kent-based parents and
caregivers

Being a parent can be hard. There are many reasons why developing moments of connection with your baby might not come as easily as you first thought, including your own experiences as a child, your current situation, or previous traumatic events.


When things feel difficult, our team can offer a safe and supportive, therapeutic space. 


We support:


  • parents or caregivers with a baby under two years old
  • expecting parents who have worries or concerns

a close up of a mum and baby hand
A young baby gazes at his mother's face
A young east asian mum plays with her two year old on a mat

How can PAIRS help?

Our sessions aim to support healthy relationships between parents/caregivers and their babies.  In many of our sessions, we’ll sit on the floor together with your baby to observe and share thoughts about what they might be experiencing.

Some of the ways we can support you include: 


  • Processing the things you are finding difficult about being a parent
  • Helping you tune in to your child’s emotional needs in order to strengthen your relationship 
  • Building your confidence interacting and playing with your child
  • Improving the emotional wellbeing of both you and your infant


These sessions can be helpful even if this is not your first child.

a mum and baby embracing

Am I eligible?


This is a local service for people living in Kent. In addition you'll need to be:


  • Referred by a healthcare or support professional
  • Either a parent/or primary caregiver of a baby aged between 0-2, or currently expecting a baby

We support anyone who identifies as a primary caregiver, regardless of background or how your family has come together.

An interpretation service can be made available to remove communication barriers.



Areas we serve:

  • Ashford
  • Canterbury (City)
  • Dartford
  • Dover
  • Folkestone & Hythe (formerly Shepway)
  • Gravesham
  • Maidstone
  • Sevenoaks
  • Swale
  • Thanet
  • Tonbridge & Malling
  • Tunbridge Wells
  • Whitstable

What do I need to do?

To make sure every family gets the most helpful support for their unique situation, we do not take direct self-referrals. We work this way because parenthood can bring up a lot of different challenges. Sometimes, another local community service, a parenting group, or practical support is the best and most comforting first step for you and your baby.

If PAIRS is the right fit, getting a referral is simple:

  • Ask a professional you trust: Speak to your Midwife, Health Visitor or GP about finding out more and getting referred.  

  • Visit a Family Hub: Drop into your local Family Hub for a chat. Their friendly team will help guide you to the right service and can easily submit a referral on your behalf.


If we feel another service could better meet your needs, we'll pass this advice onto you or your referrer.


a mum and baby embracing

How does the service work?

A quick response

Once a professional refers you to us, we'll respond to inform whether PAIRS is the best service to meet your needs. Before offering an appointment we'll make contact with you. Usually this will be by telephone and we'll get to know more about your hopes for the service and your availability.


Getting to know you

Your first appointment will take the form of a conversation where we observe and listen to understand what you and your infant are experiencing. We will agree on a support plan together, and give you access to some helpful online resources straight away.

Tailored support

We will match you with the right therapist from our team. Depending on what will help you the most, this might involve one-to-one sessions, or joining a supportive group of other parents experiencing similar things. 

FAQs

Wherever possible, we advise in-person sessions, but online support can be offered in extraordinary circumstances. When we meet, we use welcoming, local, private rooms.

We know that daytime appointments aren't always possible when you are juggling family life, especially if you are back at work. To make things easier, we aim to offer flexible appointment times, with evening or Saturday appointments potentially available.

Referrals can be made by professionals including:

  • Health visitors 
  • Family Hub staff
  • Midwives
  • Mental health professionals
  • Infant feeding specialists
  • Specialist breastfeeding support 
  • GPs

Typically sessions would take place with your baby (even if they are sleeping during this time). 

Mental health diagnosis is not a criteria for referral so no pre-diagnosis is required. 

Our team will carefully consider alternative support options and may signpost you to other local resources or services. We will clearly communicate our recommendations in a formal letter sent to you, the professional who referred you, and your GP. To aid a smooth transition, we can also facilitate a direct discussion with the alternative service, provided you give us your consent to do so.

We know that finishing a support programme can sometimes feel like a big milestone, so we have a clear process to celebrate any progress and ensure you have what you need for your next steps. 
   
You will receive a formal therapeutic ending letter and ongoing access to resources .Your clinician will work with you to write a collaborative closing statement, which documents any of the key things that helped you, so that you have a record for the future.

Partners or supportive others are very welcome for your first appointment. If your partner feels like they would like to participate beyond this, they may want to consider being referred to the service independently.

a woman wearing a hijab cradling her one year old
an older baby gazes up at her mum

Safeguarding Policy