Parents 1st UK: Essex services

We deliver perinatal peer support to parents across Essex, through 1-1 or group support. Our peer supporters work with expectant and new parents in their communities. They are by their side through pregnancy, labour and birth, and after the baby is born. They build trusting peer relationships and help parents cope with the inevitable changes that becoming a parent brings. Peer support is particularly valuable to parents who feel lonely or isolated, suffer from mild to moderate mental health issues or are wary of health professionals.

Make an online referral or give us a call: 01268 525 758. Our office opening times are Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm.

Peer support has a unique and valuable contribution to make to mothers, fathers, babies, families and communities. Informal support and reassurance from another (trained and supervised) parent who listens and builds trust, can make the difference of a lifetime.

It builds confidence, reduces social isolation, helps nip early difficulties in the bud and reduces pressure on maternity and early years services.

The benefits can be life changing:

Mothers, fathers and birthing people build their confidence, feel supported, prepare for changes ahead, and feel less stressed;
Improved wellbeing of parents means healthier pregnancies, less complicated births and healthier babies;
Parents get to know what services are available to them and volunteers help them to benefit from them.

Who can use this service?

How are services delivered?

Parents can access one to one peer support or join one of our groups/workshops during pregnancy or after birth. More information is available here

To request 1:1 peer support: Complete our online referral form or give us a call: 01268 525 758. Our office opening times are Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm.
To book onto a workshop/class: We offer a range of antenatal information classes for mums, dads, birthing people and partners, pregnancy or postnatal fitness classes and first aid workshops. Visit our website to book a place.

1:1 Peer Support

We will try to make contact with the expectant parent within 1 week of receiving a request form to agree a convenient time to make an informal visit (usually in their home)
If the expectant parent decides it is for them, and if a Pregnancy Pal is available, we will make a suitable match and organise a first meeting
After the first meeting, our peer supporter will arrange next steps with the parent. Peer support may take place through face to face meetups, or via text, phone calls or video calls. Our peer supporters will agree this depending on what the parent is comfortable with.

Workshops/ Group Support

Most of our workshops and classes are run face to face in small groups however we also offer some online groups for parents who would prefer to access support in the comfort of their own home.
Please visit our website for more details of the individual workshops we offer.

ante-natal post-natal maternal mental health parenting support peer support maternity post-natal depression perinatal Family Support