The Parent-Infant Conference: innovative and evidence-based practice to protect and promote the emotional wellbeing of all bumps, babies and toddlers

About this course

Hosted by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families and Parent Infant Partnership UK, this one-day conference will bring together high-profile research, policy and practice speakers who are experts in the field of infant and early years mental health, as well as offer numerous professional networking opportunities.

Who is this conference suitable for?

Anyone interested in the emotional wellbeing of babies and young children including therapists, health visitors, midwives, social workers, GPs, family support workers, early years practitioners, researchers, commissioners, policymakers, and parents with lived experience.

Programme

We have created a programme to bring together local, national and international speakers.  The day includes research, practice and policy perspectives regarding the emotional wellbeing of babies and very young children across the spectrum of need.

As well as hearing from others, the day presents numerous opportunities for you to network with colleagues through discussion, reflection and networking with your peers. For example we will have cabaret style seating, longer refreshment breaks, and end of session question setting to spark discussions.  For the refreshments on the day, we have a chosen a caterer who is able to provide healthy, locally sourced and sustainable ingredients.

The event welcomes babies in arms, and a parent-infant friendly space is provided outside of the main conference hall for play, feeding, and family time.

Confirmed keynote speakers include international experts, such as:

• Chandra Ghosh Ippen, Associate Director of the Child Trauma Research Program & Director of Dissemination and Implementation for Child-Parent Psychotherapy, University of California - "What Young Children Know: Lessons Learned from Child-Parent Psychotherapy"
• Lenneke Alink, Professor of Forensic Family Studies, Leiden University - "Unraveling child maltreatment: what are the prevention ingredients?"
• Anne Longfield OBE, England’s Children’s Commissioner - "A Crying Shame: making a difference in the early years
• Paul Ramchandani, LEGO Professor of Play, University of Cambridge - "Healthy Start, Happy Start: the effectiveness of a videofeedback approach with young children at risk of behavioural problems"

Please see the programme schedule below. 

09.00     Registration and refreshments

09:30      Welcome from the Anna Freud Centre and Parent Infant Partnership UK

10:00      Plenary 1

10.25       Plenary 2

10.50       Q&A and discussion

11.15       BREAK and networking

11.50       Break out sessions including discussion and reflection time

                     - Innovation in early help

                     - Integrated working with families on the edge of care

13:00      LUNCH and Networking

14:00       Break out sessions including discussion and reflection time

                       - Working with the system to meet the needs of high risk families

                       - Translating policy into practice

15:10       Plenary 3

15:45       Panel debate

16:20       Discussion and reflection time

16:45       Drinks and networking

17:30       CLOSE

Programme subject to change

Aims of conference 

• To highlight the latest thinking, intervention innovations and research in the field of infant mental health
• To showcase Anna Freud and PIP UK parent-infant work and to cement our mutual positions as centres of excellence in the parent-infant research and delivery landscape
• To present a model of integrated parent-infant practice across the spectrum from universal to specialist intervention
• To bring together practitioners and experts from across the NHS, Local Authority and third sector to have a series of collaborative discussions about joint working for the benefits of families in the early years.

Keeping up to date

Do follow us on social media through the following Twitter handles: Anna Freud Centre and Parent Infant Partnership UK using the hashtag #PIConf20 where we will be sharing updates about the conference in the lead up to January, and we will be live tweeting on the day.

Travel

Kensington Town Hall is accessible and well located in central London. The nearest tube station is High Street Kensington (Circle and District lines). Buses: 9, 10, 27, 49, 52, 328 serve Kensington High Street. The is a privately-run car park beneath the adjacent Central Library.