During Infant Mental Health Awareness Week, Essex Partnership University NHS Trust (EPUT) is pleased to announce that the Start for Life service in Thurrock will continue until at least March 2026. This vital support system will continue to provide early parenting, feeding, and mental wellbeing services to families across the community.
Sally Perry, Parent Infant Therapist from EPUT’s Together with Baby service, leads drop-in groups, consultations, and specialist assessments and interventions at the Brighter Futures Family Hub, alongside a Specialist Health Visitor from North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT). The renewed funding ensures that Sally and the team can continue their essential work supporting infants’ social and emotional wellbeing and helping parents navigate challenges in forming strong early bonds with their babies.
Start for Life is a nationally funded initiative designed to support families during the earliest and most formative days of parenthood. Thurrock is among 70 locations across England awarded this funding and has been actively delivering services since 2023. The program offers specialised parent-infant and perinatal mental health care.
As part of the broader support framework, the Brighter Futures Family Hub in Thurrock provides a welcoming space for health, education, and parenting services. Within the hub, EPUT’s Together with Baby service offers tailored psychological support to parents who may find it difficult to build a positive relationship with their child during pregnancy and the first two years of life. The Together with Baby service co-designed the care offer at the hub and has been part of the project from the beginning.
Sally said: “We are delighted to continue supporting parents and babies in the Thurrock community through the Brighter Futures Family Hub. Our Together with Baby service nurtures vital parent-infant interactions that lay the foundation for lifelong mental health. We are committed to helping families give their babies the best possible start in life and enhancing overall family wellbeing.
“A huge thank you to all of the parents and professionals who came along to our open day on Monday 9 June. I was really pleased to see so many turn up to show their commitment to Thurrock’s infants and their emotional wellbeing.”
The Start for Life campaign ‘If They Could Tell You’ encourages parents to nurture their bond with their babies, promoting better mental health and early childhood development outcomes.
About family hubs
Family hubs are local centres that provide a wide range of support services for families with children aged 0 to 18 years, or up to 25 years for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Services include parenting advice, mental health support, child development activities, and SEND assistance. Thurrock’s Brighter Futures Family Hub integrates these services to make it easier for families to access the help they need in one place.
Find out more about the Together with Baby service, Brighter Futures Family Hubs in Thurrock, and the Start for Life programme.
Family hub registration
Families can register to access support and services at their local family hubs through an online registration form.