Welcome to Warwick Infant and Family Wellbeing Unit (WIFWU).

At WIFWU, we acknowledge that an infant’s early social and emotional development is vital to the baby and infant’s mental and physical wellbeing through childhood, adolescence and adulthood.

We understand the 1,001 critical days (pregnancy to age 2 years) is a significant period when babies need to be supported to follow a positive developmental trajectory. Babies and their relationships matter and the baby’s experiences in the context of their significant care-giver child relationships influence their brain architecture, their attachment status and even how their genes are expressed.

Infant Mental Health (IMH) refers to the developing capacity of the baby from birth to form close relationships, manage and express their emotions and explore the environment and learn (Zero to Three IMH Taskforce). IMH is concerned with promoting social and emotional development and preventing mental health problems.

Interpersonal relationships influence our behaviour and beliefs and infants who develop a strong sense of self through secure interpersonal relationships are sustained emotionally and socially. This is why relationship-based practice is fundamental to effective IMH work.

WIFWU’s goal is to enable the perinatal and IMH workforce to develop their IMH knowledge, skills and abilities so they can deliver evidence based IMH practice to improve outcomes for infants.

We aim to do this by:

• Delivering high quality Inter-Professional Education (IPE) programmes that are up-to-date, applicable and research informed
• Deliver knowledge, skills and behaviours directly transferable to your current and future perinatal and IMH practice
• Meet core perinatal and IMH competencies
• Address personal perinatal and IMH developmental goals

On completion of WiFWU’s postgraduate training our students receive accreditation from Warwick Medical School.

There is recognition from government that all infants should have the best possible start to life through the development of resilient relationships between parents and infants. The Best Start for Life Report (2021): A Vision for the 1,001 Critical Days, The Early Years Health Developmental Review endorses that for babies to get the best start professionals need to understand how their expertise contributes to the Start for Life System.

The Scottish government have made a commitment to IMH training for practitioners and IMHOL is offered by National Education for Scotland (NES) as the foundation for all IMH training across further skills levels.

We look forward to assisting you to achieve your perinatal and IMH continuous professional goals.

Please contact us if we can be of any assistance and follow the link to meet the team.

My Best Wishes,

Dawn Cannon, Director of WIFWU