Parent Infant Partnership (PIP) UK Ltd

Who we are

Parent Infant Partnership (PIP) UK is a national charity (Registered Charity No: 1152082) and umbrella organisation to a network of PIPs who provide specialist clinical services to infants and their families.

PIP UK was founded in 2012 by Andrea Leadsom MP alongside the 1001 Critical Days Manifesto to realise a vision to give every baby the best possible start in life. 

The need for PIP services across all areas of the UK is acute. They provide an essential component to a preventative strategy for better mental health outcomes across the lifespan. International research clearly demonstrates the case for investing early into human potential. Currently only 1% of the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS) budget is spent on the under 2s, and none at all on bumps.

Our Three Main Pillars:

1.To support practitioners and organisations to set up PIP services and monitor the effective delivery of local PIPs objectives, which are as follows:

Create and manage a quality standard for specialist infant- parent clinical services through researched therapeutic methods and practice based evidence​

Create a sound data base of the outcomes for the child of specialised infant mental health services, based on a range of appropriate assessments.

Channel funds for the delivery of specialist infant- parent clinical services to projects that meet these objectives and standards.

Endorse and signpost quality training for parent infant practitioners.

Endorse and signpost quality training and support for the early years' workforce

Provide specialised training and consultation to the early years' workforce in areas where a PIP team has been established.

2. To evaluate the effectiveness of specialist infant-parent clinical services in terms of public health, social and economic outcomes.

3. To promote specialist infant - parent clinical services as a critical element of perinatal and early year’s intervention at a policy and political level, through effective lobbying and collaboration with other organisations.

The cost of not providing early help for infant-parent relationship support is considerable: babies and their families suffer, costs to taxpayers rise and society loses the potential of another individual.

• 39% of first time fathers have high levels of distress in the first year of their child’s life

• 50% of women with perinatal mental health problems are not identified or treated.

• 26% of babies in the UK have a parent affected by domestic violence, mental health or substance misuse.

A radical change is required to our approach to the 1001 critical days: conception to age 2 period to give every baby the best possible start in life. Evidence shows it is vitally important to ensure that the baby achieves its optimum development and nurturing during this peak period of growth, as the foundations of the babies’ mind are being put in place.