- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendation in its Peer Support in Perinatal Mental Health action plan, what it has done to identify and support good practice in perinatal mental health.
Answer
Since publishing the Peer Support Action Plan in March 2021, the Scottish Government has established annual peer support in perinatal mental health events which bring together hundreds of practitioners from across Scotland to showcase good practice. These events highlight the role of peer support in supporting and complementing clinical work.
We have also worked with the Scottish Recovery Network to develop a Perinatal Peer Support Resource, called Let’s do Peer Support: Bump, Birth and Beyond. This is a practical guide/toolkit to support people who are planning and delivering perinatal peer support activities. The resource was launched on 20 April 2023 and can be found at the following link - Let's do Peer Support: Bump, Birth & Beyond - Scottish Recovery Network.
We also recognise the importance of peer support within statutory services. Scottish Government has provided funding to support the inclusion of peer support workers in both Mother and Baby Units within Scotland. A core part of statutory service peer support roles is close working with, and learning from, third sector organisations which have been successfully supporting communities through peer support for many years.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendation in its Peer Support in Perinatal Mental Health action plan, what it has done to ensure that evidence-based, and quality-assured resources are utilised when creating peer support services for perinatal mental health to ensure high-quality practice from the start.
Answer
The Scottish Government has worked alongside Inspiring Scotland, Evaluation Support Scotland and third sector partners to co-produce an Evaluation Toolkit for perinatal peer support, which was published on 1 March 2023.
The Scottish Government also worked with Scottish Recovery Network to develop a Perinatal Peer Support Resource, which launched on 20 April 2023 and can be found at the following link - Let's do Peer Support: Bump, Birth & Beyond - Scottish Recovery Network . The resource includes guidance plus links to good practice and specialised training from more established organisations, should peer support workers or volunteers feel they need further information and guidance.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendation in its Peer Support in Perinatal Mental Health action plan, what it has done to ensure that peer supporters of perinatal mental health have access to robust support systems and additional flexibility in their roles to enable them to maintain their own recovery and wellbeing.
Answer
The Scottish Government has worked with the Scottish Recovery Network to develop a Perinatal Peer Support Resource, which launched on 20 April 2023 and can be found at the following link - Let's do Peer Support: Bump, Birth & Beyond - Scottish Recovery Network . The toolkit includes advice, hints and tips for peer support workers, including how to deal with difficult topics which they may find triggering. The toolkit also helps to ensure that peer supporters are also maintaining their own recovery and wellbeing. Peer support workers also have access to the National Wellbeing Hub, which supports everyone working in health and social care services in Scotland.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendation in its Peer Support in Perinatal Mental Health action plan, whether a range of peer support models to improve perinatal mental healthcare are available, and, if so, what it has done to ensure that they are available across geographical areas throughout Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government is funding a range of peer support models to improve perinatal mental healthcare across Scotland. These include paid peer support workers, volunteer peer support workers, peer support in specialised mental health services, peer support in marginalised groups and informal peer support including online services.
The Scottish Government established an annual peer support event to bring together practitioners across Scotland to showcase good practice and highlight the work being undertaken across localities. This shares knowledge and creates an opportunity for learning and understanding on how to effectively implement peer support tools to reach everyone in Scotland who needs support.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendation in its Peer Support in Perinatal Mental Health action plan, what it has done to support specific perinatal mental health peer support services for men.
Answer
Through the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund And Small Grants Fund, we provide funding for both father specific and whole family work. From 2021 to March 2023, we have provided over £1 million to groups including Home-Start Glasgow North and North Lanarkshire, Quarriers, CrossReach, Sure Start Midlothian, Dads Rock and Fathers Network Scotland. This includes funding for peer support groups for new fathers, which can provide a valuable source of support.
We have also committed to working with Fathers Network Scotland to better understand the evidence around mental health within the perinatal period for fathers and partners.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendation in its Peer Support in Perinatal Mental Health action plan, how it is ensuring that peer workers or peer volunteers for perinatal mental health do not replace clinical staff or are asked to do their work.
Answer
We recognise the value of peer support as a key component of perinatal mental health support. However, we are clear that this does not replace the need for clinical services where that is required to help individuals and their families.
The Scottish Government is supporting clinical service provision by investing in the development and implementation of Community Mental Health Services, Mother and Baby Units, Infant Mental Health and Maternity Neonatal Phycological Interventions services. This is creating capacity within clinical services to ensure they are well placed to offer effective perinatal support in every health board across Scotland, with peer support services complementing clinical work.
NHS Boards have local governance for peer support roles which will include the scope of the role, confidentiality and supervision arrangements. Mother and Baby Units can access guidance on peer support worker roles and the support which should be provided for them from Perinatal Mental Health Network Scotland.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to build the evidence base for peer support for perinatal mental health, and whether new services are measuring their effectiveness using validated measures, to reinforce a commitment to a robust evaluation.
Answer
Building on the Peer Support Evidence Review and Peer Support action plan the Scottish Government has worked with Inspiring Scotland and Evaluation Support Scotland to co-produce an Evaluation Toolkit for perinatal peer support, together with third sector partners. This was published on 1 March 2023 and provides guidance on how to complete an evaluation plan and apply it to their work.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendation in its Peer Support in Perinatal Mental Health action plan, what targeted peer support in perinatal mental health services it has created to meet the particular needs of groups who are, or were, underserved by services, and what any such services are.
Answer
The Scottish Government Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund provides £80,000 per year to support Amma Birth Companions which provides trauma-informed emotional and practical support to vulnerable women who would otherwise experience birth without a partner or who are likely to face significant barriers to accessing perinatal care. The individuals they support are mostly refugees, asylum seekers and people living in poverty. Amma's service include birth and postnatal companionship, antenatal classes and peer support activities and aims to support the wellbeing and life chances of both mothers and fathers.
Remote and rural services face challenges due to how geographically isolated some of the communities are throughout Scotland. The Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund therefore also supports multiple organisations across rural Scotland to provide services to remote areas, these services include Action for Children services in the Western Isles, Home Start Caithness, South Lanarkshire and many more. They provide non-clinical, community based parenting and peer support services which help women and families affected by, or at risk of, perinatal mental health difficulties.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendation in its Peer Support in Perinatal Mental Health action plan, whether specific perinatal mental health peer support services for men have become more widely available since March 2021, and, if so, what groups exist, broken down by the geographical areas in which they operate.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17835 on 22 May 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
There is also the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Third Sector Service Directory on Inspiring Scotland’s website which lists organisations across Scotland who currently offer perinatal and infant mental health support. This can be found at: Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Third Sector Service Directory - Inspiring Scotland.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendation in its Peer Support in Perinatal Mental Health action plan, how it is has built evaluation into peer support services for perinatal mental health to ensure that they are meeting the needs of clients and peer supporters, and providing safe, appropriate, and effective services.
Answer
The Scottish Government has worked closely with Inspiring Scotland and Evaluation Support Scotland to co-produce an Evaluation Toolkit for perinatal peer support, together with charities in our third sector fund portfolios. This Evaluation Toolkit was published on 1 March 2023.
