Here is a bit about me and some of what I do.
I am a perinatal mental health trainer specialising in father’s mental health and cultural differences, for the last 12 months I have been training NHS trusts across the UK on these subjects. I work with hospitals and charities around the country delivering training to HCPs and supporting new fathers with their MH and transition into parenthood.
I am a parent educator and I work with local trusts including UHCW and GEH delivering antenatal classes. I also work with organisations consulting on paternal mental health and work with national charities such as Pandas, Dadpad, Letters of light, fathers network Scotland and best beginnings where I was co-lead on fathers’ advisory group and worked closely with the team developing baby buddy app 2.0.
I facilitate a fathers support group in Warwickshire but have just recently launched fathers beacon a support group for frontline fathers. Including the military, police, fire, and NHS. I am working with the MET, Staffordshire, Lincolnshire, Warwickshire police forces in collaboration with Blueminds, who are a mental health peer support platform within the police force.
I Campaign for better support for all parents’ mental health along with screening. I also have set up multiple antenatal programmes for Fathers to help them be more involved and give the child the best possible outcome.
As a father of 7 boys my interest in mental health in fathers was born from their future needing to be better than our present. Coming from lived experience of paternal mental health.
My work is never about taking focus off Mum and baby but seeing the family as a unit and supporting as such. The role of a father has changed in last 20 years but unfortunately society hasn’t kept up as a result the emotional demands put upon them need services that can aid not hinder them.