Infant observation in the perinatal period (CPD86)

Course Content

The 1,001 days from conception to an infant’s second birthday form a significant and influential phase in development and establish the foundations for the best possible start in life. Undertaking parent-infant observation helps practitioners to understand relationships in this critical period – a stage where one in five women and birthing people experience mental health difficulties.

This 12-week, CPD course supports multidisciplinary practitioners, who work with women and birthing people experiencing mental health difficulties, and their families, to better understand how infant observation can be used in clinical work. Alongside parent-infant observations, you will be supported by expert clinicians and peers to expand your knowledge of infant development and relationships during the first critical 1,001 days. You will learn through a variety of practice, reflection, literature and discussion and after completing the course, feel confident in applying your new skills to your role.

This course will focus on developing your observational skills and how you can utilise these in reflecting on parent-infant relationships and keeping the infant in mind. As part of the course, you will need to undertake an infant observation for one hour a week over eight to ten weeks. We will share how you can set up this observation during the introductory and initial seminars. The infant can be of any age up to one year and should be from a family not known to services. You will be required to visit the family in their own home once a week. During observation, you will not take notes, but write up notes afterwards which are discussed in the seminars.

During the infant observation seminars, you will develop your observational skills, particularly in relation to mother–infant relationships and reflect on the emotional impact of the observations on the observer.

You will also take part in work reflection seminars where you will take it in turns to bring a case that you are working with for reflection. As the course progresses, you will be encouraged to bring observations from your clinical work. Attention will be paid to the emotional impact on practitioners and the wider dynamics in the perinatal system.

As part of the course, you will be provided with literature, including texts on work in different settings. You will discuss this during seminars and reflect on it in relation to the observations and work discussions.

Participants on this course must be able to supply a copy of an enhanced workplace DBS dated within three years of the course start date.