Free childcare at café for parents seeking mental health support

Parents in Kirklees seeking support for common mental health conditions from a team of NHS experts are being offered free childcare at a local family-friendly café.

Kirklees improving access to psychological therapies (IAPT) is working in partnership with Babyccinos, a new café in Mirfield, to provide free registered child-minding for anyone attending appointments with IAPT from when the café opens in June.

IAPT , which is run by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, has a team of qualified and experienced professionals trained in talking therapies, such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and counselling. They help people get quick and easy access to the best type of therapy for their individual needs.

The team can support people to address problems, gain a new understanding of their difficulties and develop a new way of coping, and to talk about their experiences in a non-judgemental and supportive environment.

Fran Ball, a psychological wellbeing practitioner with IAPT who will be offering assessments at the café, said: “Common problems like depression, anxiety, stress, panicking, nervousness, isolation and loss of sleep make it difficult for us to cope with life’s daily demands, particularly when you have young children. By offering free childcare in partnership with Babyccinos, we hope to enable more people to get the help and support they need, particularly parents who may struggle to find childcare in order to attend appointments.

“On a Tuesday morning we will be offering assessments at the café for people accessing our service through the main referral route, and on Tuesday afternoons we will be offering more of a drop-in service where people visiting the café can speak to us in confidence.”

You can refer yourself to IAPT at any time by calling 01484 343700 or by completing a referral form at www.askforiapt.co.uk.