Statement on the closure of NorPip

The Parent-Infant Foundation is sad to hear that NorPIP, the Parent Infant Partnership in Northamptonshire is having to close in June after a decade of supporting local babies and their families. Specialised parent infant services such as NorPIP play a crucial role in the treatment and prevention of mental health problems, supporting parents to establish secure relationships with their babies and offering therapeutic services for a range of issues including perinatal anxiety and depression. The Parent-Infant Foundation champions the development, growth and sustainability of specialist parent-infant relationship teams and believes that investing in babies’ mental health and wellbeing is an essential public health activity which should be mandated through central government and commissioned in every area.

We are pleased to see that some of the NorPIP services will be continuing through their partners, but it is particularly disappointing that NorPIP is having to close its doors at a time when the importance of babies’ emotional wellbeing is being increasingly recognised by national and local decision makers elsewhere. Across the UK, teams like NorPIP are being successfully funded, set up and re-commissioned, with almost 40 teams now running across the UK and more being established each year.

The current funding climate for charities is immensely difficult and the challenges have been amplified by the impact of Covid. The closure of NorPIP means that Northamptonshire families will no longer have access to a specialised parent-infant relationship service, which is especially concerning given the additional struggles and adversity many families are now facing due to the pandemic. 

We will continue in our mission to support the growth and quality of specialist parent-infant relationship teams across the UK so that the important work and impact of teams like NorPIP will be better understood and recognised.  It is our vision that all babies have a sensitive, nurturing relationship with at least one adult, to lay the foundation for lifelong mental and physical health.