Building Attachments and Bonds Support

Infants or children who:

• Look anxious, tense, distressed or fearful
• Are displaying poor signs of attachment
• Have current experience of adverse childhood experiences, abuse or trauma
• Show developmental delay
• Were born prematurely

Parental or professional concerns regarding:

• Parent struggling with the experience of being pregnant or being a parent
• Pregnancy or parenting intensifying previous trauma or mental health difficulties
• Lack of bonding or attachment, in the antenatal period and following birth
• Ambivalence towards their pregnancy, infant or child
• An inability to recognise and respond appropriately to their infant or child cues
• Negativity and/or hostility towards their infant or child or unborn child
• Previous attachment or parent-infant difficulties

Parents and families with additional vulnerabilities such as:

• History of adverse childhood experiences or trauma
• Mild, moderate or severe mental health problems such as depression or anxiety present prior to conception
• Previous experience of children removed from their care
• Teenage or young parents

Our approach with our families is flexible and needs led and can be in the form of:

• Home visits
• Drop-in sessions
• Group sessions or direct work
• One-to-one assessment, support and direct therapeutic work with parents, carers and their infant or child.

We aim to support and work alongside professionals by offering:

• Telephone or bookable face-to-face consultation and advice
• Joint work with referrers
• Training opportunities across agencies
• Clinical supervision
• Shared risk support in line with national THRIVE framework

To access support, the parent must be pregnant or have a baby or toddler under three years old at the time of referral and must be registered with a Wigan GP Wigan.

Requesting a professionals consultation

If you would like to discuss suitability prior to referral or would like some advice around a family you’re working with, please complete our consultation form below and we will arrange a convenient time to contact you.

BABS Consultation Form

Following consultation it may be agreed that the family would benefit from our support and a referral can then be made.

Making a referral

Referrals can be made via any health or care professional working with the parent registered with a Wigan GP using our BABS service. 

We will acknowledge the referral and make contact with the family within five working days.

If you are looking after a parent who you believe is experiencing a mental health crisis and requires an urgent response, please contact the Mental Health Urgent Response Team on 01942 764 467 (available 24 hours a day).