Knowledge Makes Change (Seminar Series)

Expert guest speakers present key, national, early-childhood research and practice developments.

Attendees will also learn how LEAP is supporting local children and families.

By attending, you will gain:

• Knowledge of 'what works' for young children and their families to ensure the best possible outcomes.
• Ideas to take back and share with others.
• Resources to support your work.
• Information about LEAP's services and how to access them.

The Knowledge Makes Change seminars are free events. They're open to all everyone, but generally aimed at professionals.

The goal of 2021’s IMHAW was to encourage everyone working in children and young people’s mental health policies, strategies and services to think about and include babies. Six experts from across the A Better Start sites showcased how their teams are working with families and services to improve infant mental health.

Watch the full webinar here, and access the slides below.

LEAP’s Ben Yeo, a Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist with our Parent and Infant Relationship Service (PAIRS,) explored the relationship between parents and their unborn babies, and how the team understands and works in this earliest of relationships.

Colleagues from Bradford, Blackpool, Nottingham, Southend and the National Children’s Bureau discussed why infant mental health matters, community-based approaches, dedicated pathways, positive paternal mental health, and making positive changes to relationships.

• Why does infant mental health matter? Deirdre McAliskey, Assistant Director, National Children’s Bureau
• A community-based approach to improving infant mental health. Melanie Farman, Development Manager, the Blackpool Centre for Early Child Development, Blackpool
• Bringing the unborn baby into view. Ben Yeo, Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, Lambeth Early Action Partnership, Lambeth
• Little Minds Matter project - A dedicated pathway to support little minds. Matthew Price, Principal Clinical Psychologist - Infant Mental Health Pathway Lead, Bradford
• Positive paternal mental health in improved emotional outcomes for infants. Sara Salem, Father Inclusivity Senior Project Officer, Small Steps Big Changes, Nottingham
• Shifting the trajectory – understanding challenges and building confidence to make positive relationship changes. Dr Ellen Auty, Clinical Lead, Essex Parent Infant Mental Health Service, Southend.

Connecting children to nature to support their wellbeing.

The webinar and presentations took place on 17 March 2021.

• Outdoor learning as a community strategy
• Supporting children's wellbeing
• Heathbrook Primary School
• Loughborough Community Centre

On Friday 12 March, the Breastfeeding Network (BfN) and LEAP presented a virtual study morning.

The event featured:

• Yoga meditative breathing exercises with Claudia Feigk.
• Keynote speaker and founder of International Fathers' Mental Health Day, Mark Williams.
• Camden Baby Feeding Manager, Smita Hanciles, on infant feeding, and perinatal & infant mental health.
• Infant Feeding Co-ordinator for Guy's & St. Thomas' Trust, Claire Spencer, on support during the pandemic.

• The Breastfeeding Network slides
• LEAP slides
• Lambeth Families Information Service (FIS) slides
• Infant feeding and perinatal and infant mental health

The Covid-19 crisis has had, and will continue to have, a significant adverse effect on children aged 0–3. A 10-page PDF report.

The slides presented in the webinar: "The impact of Covid-19 on LEAP's families, practitioners and services".

Presentations from LEAP's partners, Repowering London and Healthy Living Platform.

What’s your level of understanding about fuel poverty and its impact on your work? Repowering London fuel poverty presentation

We always knew food poverty was a problem, but Covid has exacerbated the issue. Putting food back into the heart of communities

The importance of race, culture and gender for ensuring inclusion within early years and community settings.

A PAIRS (Parent and Infant Relationship Service) webinar for Infant Mental Health Awareness Week 2020.

The story of Big Little Moments, and findings and recommendations from the evaluation.

Please email David Wood, LEAP Programme Manager, to register for an event or find out more.

The inaugural Knowledge Makes Change seminar was on the importance of play in child development. 

In attendance was Richard Newson, Senior Media & Communications Officer at the National Children’s Bureau.

Find out what he learned.