Specialist Perinatal Service

Cheshire and Mersey Specialist Perintal team has three teams across the region:

• Mersey Care (Halton, Warrington, St Helens and Knowsley) Tel: 01925 275 303
• Mersey Care (Liverpool and Sefton) Tel: 0151 702 4012
• Cheshire and Wirral Tel: 0151 488 8434

The team is made up of clinicians with expertise to help support people and families' mental health and relationships. Families may work with one or several different staff members to support their needs.

The team will work with families and develop a set of interventions to suit their needs.

• The Specialist Perinatal Service supports women* and families across Cheshire and Merseyside to access specialist advice about their mental health during the perinatal period (pregnancy to 24 months postnatal)
• We support all women of childbearing age (no upper or lower age limit to refer). Where the woman is under 18 years of age, joint working with CAMHs will be recommended
• We support women who are registered or in the process of registering with a GP located within Cheshire and Merseyside.

*The term ‘woman’ is used however, it is acknowledged that not all people referred identify with this term. The Specialist Perinatal Service is inclusive of all people giving birth.

Our team works as part of a Cheshire and Merseyside-wide service in partnership with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

• We do not accept self referrals, but women can be referred to our service by any professional supporting them such as a GP, midwife, health visitor, social worker, voluntary sector agencies
• The above professionals should make sure they have consent to make the referral and let people know to expect a call from us so we can complete a telephone triage
• Referrals are made by completing our referral form and emailing this to your local service Complete a referral form here
• Emergency referrals do not require a referral form and should be made via telephone to the local Specialist Perinatal Service between Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

Mersey Care (Halton, Warrington, St Helens and Knowsley) Telephone: 01925 275 303

Mersey Care (Liverpool and Sefton) Telephone: 0151 702 4012

Cheshire and Wirral Telephone: 0151 488 8434

Outside of these working hours referrers should contact our out of hours services such as Mental Health Crisis Lines which are available 24 hours a day seven days a week. visit our urgent help page.

Your first appointment is the start of building a relationship with the perinatal professional.

Your first appointment will either be online, at a venue in your local area or in your own home.

Children and family are welcome to the first appointment, however, we can also see you alone if you prefer.

Why we ask you questions at your first appointment

We will explore your current and past experiences to help make sense of you needs.

We also have documents which explain why we ask questions and what we do with the information you give us:

• What are Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs)?
• Further information - What are Routine Outcome Measures (ROMs)?

Opening up conversations about difference.

The purpose of this guide is to support colleagues within the Specialist Perinatal and the Maternal Mental Health Service to open up conversations about race, culture and ethnicity in their everyday work and clinical practice.