Job summary
- Main area
- Public Health Nursing
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent: Term time only
- Hours
- Part time - 22.5 hours per week (Term time only)
- Job ref
- 388-7123334-NMC
- Employer
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- King's Ash House
- Town
- Paignton
- Salary
- £46,148 - £52,809 Pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 10/06/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Perinatal Infant Mental Health Specialist Nurse
NHS AfC: Band 7
Job overview
The role of the Perinatal Infant Mental Health Specialist (PIMHS) is to provide specialist parent/infant assessment and interventions within the 0 to 19 Torbay Family Hub initiative. The aim is to provide early identification, intervention and health promotion with regards to infant/early years mental health.
The post holder will facilitate supervision for the workforce developing and co ordinating training.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will ensure that the voice of the infant is central to care delivery and service development.
You will be involved with assessing and working with infants, parents, carers and families living in Torbay, delivering interventions to support the parent infant relationship.
The post holder will be responsible for delivering supervision to 0 to 19 Torbay staff on a 121 or group supervision basis.
Joint home visits and consultations will be undertaken with Health Visitors/members of the 0 to 19 Torbay team where further assessment and intervention is required.
Working for our organisation
0 to 19 Torbay is a partnership between TSDFT and Action for Children.
These services have come together to provide a universal service to children, young people and their families in Torbay working together with statutory and community services.
When working with an infant/ child or young person we will consider their family relationships, the role of adult behaviour and the wider context such as social network and the local community. By giving children the best start in life, to stay well and thrive.
Before and after birth we will support parents and babies to create the conditions where stress is reduced, positive bonds and attachments can form, and language and communication skills develop. Being baby, young person and family friendly.
Ensure services are equipped to support families with feeding and developing close, loving relationships, ensuring that all babies get the best possible start in life and to take young people’s needs into account (You’re Welcome).
Broadening the skills of the workforce.
Trauma and adversity are significant risk factors for poor health and wellbeing and reduced life chances over the course of a lifetime, therefore developing our approach to become a trauma informed workforce and services is important to ensure that people affected by trauma and adversity receive the best possible care, and support and that responses to their needs are safe, effective, person-centred and trauma informed.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Communication and working relationship
Communicate effectively with all statutory and non-statutory agencies associated with perinatal and parent/infant mental health
Use clear, concise written, electronic and verbal communication with clients, colleagues and key stakeholders
Utilise language support services for non-English speaking clients
Share information appropriately adhering to TSDFT policies
Use professional, empathetic, listening and reflective skills with clients and staff when offering information and support
Demonstrate leadership skills with an ability to motivate others to promote a united approach to parent infant mental health (PIMH) across multiple agencies
Ensure that care is delivered in a way that is culturally sensitive and that the service is accessible to all
To participate and where appropriate lead multi agency meetings relating to PIMH
Communicate highly sensitive, complex or contentious information, both written or verbal, in a professional manner that is understood by clients, professionals, students and all partner agencies
Planning and organisation
Participate in organising and delivering 0 to 19 Torbay staff forums
Use impactful analysis, applying experience and modifying to suit the situation
Make decisions in a timely manner
Demonstrate excellent organisational skills being able to prioritise effectively, completing and finishing tasks in a timely manner
Be responsible for developing, leading, coordinating and delivering training regarding perinatal parent/infant mental health, to all staff within the partnership and Family Hubs when required, to ensure they have the correct level of skill and knowledge to deliver the most up to date clinical care
Analytical and judgement
Be able to use research to develop and shape practice and service development
Use enhanced clinical skills and expertise to support the 0 to 19 Torbay Team and Family Hubs as required
Define problems and develop solutions to resolve these
Undertake client and staff audits with support from colleagues and to review these audits, acting upon feedback to produce an action plan which will influence on going service delivery
To work with Data Analyst and Business Manager to ensure data is used to capture positive outcomes in PIMHC and to identify areas for target
Responsibility and accountability
· Provide specialist support to parents/carers with PIMH needs and create individual plans of care with named professionals to address this
· To offer consultation to practitioners when working with families that have complex family difficulties
· To undertake joint visits to families where initial intervention has been unsuccessful or where further assessment is needed
· To work with colleagues, partners and service users to identify needs of the local population
· Ensure recordkeeping is contemporaneous and accurate following Trust policy, and Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) guidelines
· Act as an autonomous practitioner, managing own workload, professional needs and target priorities with Service Manager
· Work with managers and the impact lead to incorporate PIMH support in all settings where we see clients to create a supportive social environment for parents, babies and their families
· Attend management meetings to report on Best Start for Life PIMH work and ensure PIMH threads through the work of the partnership
· Promote a culture where staff are encouraged to try new ways of working developing services to meet the challenges of working in communities with high level of need and deprivation
· To deputise for colleagues in their absence in own area of practice and the wider public health team
· Contribute towards the development and implementation of the Business Continuity Plan for SCPHN teams and 0 to 19 Torbay
· Be involved in the development of preceptorship and professional development programmes, identified by managers and professional Leads for staff
· Provide, through a link with the University and the TSDFT, input on curriculum planning and ensure that practice meets the requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Council for Specialist Community Public Health Nursing
· Support colleagues with supervision when required and identified by Team Leaders or staff
· Attend 0 to 19 Torbay Operations Meetings supporting the PIMH agenda across the Partnership
· Attend Family Hub partnership board meetings if required to do so.
· Knowledge of and familiarity with infant development and infant mental health principles
· Level 3 knowledge of safeguarding procedures and able to refer to MASH and Early Help
· Experience and knowledge of working with more complex family difficulties and concerns, including families where children may be at risk or with serious concerns about parenting and safeguarding
Responsibility for patients and client care
To provide early identification, intervention and health promotion with regard to infant/ early years mental health
Ensuring the voice of the infant is central to the care delivery and service development
Identify therapeutic intervention to support infant mental health and parent infant relationships
Contribute to the development of pathways in delivering care which include the role of triage practitioner within 0 to 19 Torbay team
Maintain professional registration and work in accordance to NMC requirements
To ensure all interventions are evidence based clinically at an advanced level by providing professional advice and support to staff, colleagues and the public
To endorse the importance of antenatal contacts in order that discussions are commenced early about how to start forming close and loving relationships, therefore building on brain development which supports parental/carer responsiveness to infants/children
To work with families and the Infant Feeding Lead to support responsive feeding to prevent the exacerbation of perinatal distress
Engage in partnership work and community development in a variety of settings particularly in areas identified as requiring enhanced focus on PIMH
Be responsible for providing advice and guidance to staff and women around any prescribed or complementary medication for their mental health, especially linked to lactation concerns
Co-ordinate the assessment of parent/carer infant relationship and if appropriate identify intervention to support this
Develop comprehensive care pathways for women and families affected by mild, moderate and severe maternal mental health problems in active collaboration with colleagues, specialist Health Visitor for PIMH, infant feeding specialist Health Visitor, specialist mental health services and other providers of mental health services, (GP’s midwives, IAPT services, voluntary sector and volunteers)
Consider the impact of cross-cultural influences on PIMH
Policy and service responsibility
Take a proactive role in the development and review of Perinatal Infant Mental Health policies and guidelines
Contribute to the development of pathways in delivering care
Undertake appropriate risk assessments as required
Identify areas for research, audit and development relevant to PNMH
Initiate and participate in research & clinical audit programmes where indicated implementing finding into practice
Manage queries, concerns, complaints and compliments from clients or other professionals according to TSDFT policy and procedures
Responsibility for finance, equipment and other resource
Ensure any equipment used is fully functioning and serviced as recommended by the Trust or manufacturer
Ensure any information shared digitally remains contemporary and up to date. This includes our web site, social media and newsletters to staff and stakeholders
Responsibility for supervision, leadership and management
Provide one to one or group supervision for 0 to 19 Torbay staff (particularly health visiting) quarterly or more frequently where individual case supervision is required as requested
Provide support for members of associated steering groups, colleagues and stakeholders
Provide placement, supervision and assessments of students, undertaking annual supervisor /assessor updates as required
Demonstrate own duties to students, new starters and/or less experienced staff providing training opportunities as individually identified
Participate as required in the investigation of incidents and complaints
Monitor training skills of staff and develop learning plans to support individual needs when identified
Participate in in management supervision and appraisal and be accountable for their own professional development
Manage individual members of staff or a Team within the 0 to 19 Torbay service when required to do so
Ensure that the post holder has access to supervision.
Information technology and administrative duties
Responsibility with Specialist Health Visitor for research and development of PIMH across the Partnership
Identify unmet health needs, gaps in service, inequalities and advise on appropriate action to address these
Develop and deliver training and education based on national recommendation to all staff within the Partnership of 0 to 19 Torbay and allied professionals, as required
Participate in research and initiate audits with achievable action plans
Mentor and support staff to develop expertise around PIMH
Create and support clinical learning for staff with evidenced based foundations
Develop an excellent working knowledge of current IT systems
Ability to use and maintain IT data bases and have a basic understanding of spreadsheets being able to save data safely
Mobile working when required to do so
Make sure information is available and delivered in a culturally sensitive way using appropriate IT systems to support this
Contribute towards the quarterly collection of data for the Family Hubs
Person specification
Essential
Essential criteria
- Evidence of working in the same or similar role.
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of Family Hub and 0 to 19 Torbay contract
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Natalie Aldridge
- Job title
- Interim Professional Lead for PHN
- Email address
- natalie.aldridge@nhs.net
- Telephone number
- 07789618860
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