Application made to demolish Formby's old Ambulance Station

THE former Ambulance Station, on Church Road, Formby, has had an application made to demolish it and turn it into 12 self contained apartments, by Old Saw Mills Developments Ltd. The planning application reference is:- DC/2019/02012 and also the alternative reference is:- PP-08234006. The Consultation Expiry Date is 13 February 2020 and the application expiry deadline is set as 17 April 2020. More information can be located online at:- Sefton.Gov.UK.

New partnership aims to support the most vulnerable families

A New partnership has been established to help ensure more parents across Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and South Cumbria can access support to develop relationships with their babies. Parent infant mental health services (PIMHS) provide essential support to parents who are having difficulty bonding with their baby, to help them build trusting and supportive relationships.

Carmel Doyle, Public Health Development Midwife, said:- "Relationships are everything, especially for vulnerable families whose bonds have been broken. However, with the right support, we can help parents and infants to build the best possible bond and attachment relationship."

The North West Coast Parent Infant Relationship Partnership is made up of stakeholders from NHS, Local Authority and 3rd sector organisations. It aims to help address the gap in service provision across the North West coast, with only Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool and Warrington families having access to a dedicated PIMHS service in the area. The charity Parent Infant Partnership UK has found there are only 27 specialist PIMHS teams in the whole of the UK, meaning that most babies are born in an area where there is no dedicated support.

A 2019 report recognised 2 parent infant mental health services at North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust as 'rare jewels,' and amongst the few areas in the UK to benefit from having this dedicated support.

Marion, service user and expert by experience said:- "Sharing my story has really hit home just how many other parents are struggling and need this vital support. Without the help I received from the parent infant mental health service, my life would have been so different."

Building upon the work detailed in the Rare Jewels report, the partnership aims to develop a PIMHS care pathway for all North West coast PIMHS services, as well as a training programme to help build capaCity across the workforce.

Dr Lisa Marsland, Chair of the North West Coast Parent Infant Relationship Partnership and Lead for Parent Infant Mental Health at North West Boroughs Healthcare, said:- "It was fantastic to see the passion and enthusiasm that people have for parent infant mental health and our mission to build bonds and break negative life cycles together. Moving forward, we are confident in reaching more vulnerable families and offering them the support they desperately need. A special thank you also goes to our expert by experience Marion, who bravely shared her story at the event."

The partnership was officially launched at an event, that was held on Monday, 20 January 2020, where stakeholders from across Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and South Cumbria came together to agree the next steps in their ambitious plans.