Overview
I am Laura, a Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Nurse with the North Perinatal Mental Health Team. We support women with severe or complex mental health conditions who are planning pregnancy, pregnant or have a child under one. We provide high quality, evidence-based specialist advice, assessment, and interventions.
I joined the team in 2017 having worked for many years as a CPN in Adult Mental Health Teams. My interest in perinatal mental health came from working with ladies with perinatal mental health needs, within a community team and being part of the development of perinatal mental health services locally within CPFT. I developed my passion for working within perinatal mental health due to the unique nature of this work, not just working with the ladies themselves, but also with their babies and families.
I fundamentally believe having specialist perinatal mental health treatment can make a huge difference to women, who can experience a real sense of guilt and shame linked to being mentally unwell at this time. We provide an individualised and specialist multi-disciplinary approach for the ladies we work with, all with a compassion focused approach to the care the team delivers.
Responsibilities
* Work as a care coordinator with a caseload of women who are at risk of or experiencing severe and complex perinatal mental health conditions, linking in with the wider treatment options available within the team (nursery nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists).
* Develop care plans and liaise with family members, carers and significant others to support the development and management of individuals’ care plans.
* Provide psychoeducation to women to help them understand their mental health challenges, support them to develop coping strategies and relapse prevention plans, and link with wider third sector agencies.
* Work with mothers, their infants and families in home environments where possible to support easier engagement with services.
* Coordinate with maternity services and lead liaison work in a designate area within the Trust; build close working relationships with Named Professionals for Safeguarding Children, Psychiatric Liaison Team and other relevant staff.
* Provide specialist advice and consultation to other staff regarding the management of women with severe and complex perinatal mental health conditions, including guidance on management and signposting where conditions do not require input from a specialist service.
* Attend professional meetings and provide advice where appropriate.
* Develop and deliver Perinatal Mental Health Training and Education to other staffing groups.
* Participate in safeguarding adult enquiries and complete safeguarding lead training; mentor and co-mentor students.
* Provide medication advice within your competency and supervise junior staff.
* Work jointly with staff from other services and autonomously as required.
* Contribute to development of the Countywide Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service and liaise with maternity services to lead countywide liaison work.
Requirements and Expectations
* Travel independently around the county to meet strict time deadlines. A full UK driving licence and use of a vehicle are required. Public transport cannot be used for this role to meet service needs.
* Demonstrate ability to work with women, infants and families who are at risk of or experiencing severe and complex perinatal mental health conditions.
* Be willing to work in home environments with families and engage in multidisciplinary teamwork.
About Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT)
CPFT is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, and to supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life. Our clinical teams deliver NHS services in inpatient and primary care settings, as well as in the community across children’s, adult and older people’s mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
To achieve our goal, we recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long-term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.
Other Information
* Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.
* Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, your application form will be rejected from the process.
* For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk.
* Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.
To be part of the development of the Countywide Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service. To work directly with women, their infants and families who are at risk of or experiencing severe and complex perinatal mental health conditions, including assessment and intervention linked to the mother/infant relationship. To contribute to the development and delivery of Perinatal Mental Health Training and Education to other staffing groups. To participate in safeguarding adult enquiries and complete safeguarding lead training. Mentor and co-mentor students. To provide medication advice and information within their competency. Provide supervision to junior staff. To work jointly with staff from other services. To provide specialist advice and consultation to other staff regarding the management of women experiencing severe and complex mental health conditions during the perinatal phase including guidance on management and signposting where conditions do not require input from a specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service. Attend professionals’ meetings and other meetings to offer advice where appropriate. Develop close working relationships and liaison work with maternity services and lead the liaison work in a designate area within the Trust. Linking with the Named Professionals for Safeguarding Children, Psychiatric Liaison Team and other relevant staff. To work as part of a team and autonomously as required.
This advert closes on Monday 22 Sep 2025
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