Our Approach to working with families and professionals
EVIDENCE AND METHODS
DorPIP works holistically with families, statutory providers and other organisations during the first 1001 days (conception to age two) to support early parent–infant relationships. Our targeted early intervention is aimed at prevention of unintentional harm, by treating the root cause; rather than the effects that adverse childhood experiences have on individuals, we can improve the life chances of infants and thus help improve society as a whole.
A baby’s earliest relationship with their primary caregivers is the most significant. It is likely to impact physical and mental health over the course of their life, affecting their personality, friendships and work patterns.
Our specialist multidisciplinary team sees families according to their needs, which may be a combination of psychotherapy, baby-led infant massage courses and peer-led support groups.
Practitioners use assessment tools alongside team-based reflective supervision to inform professional judgement and guide support for each family. These approaches help practitioners notice change over time and ensure consistency in practice.
Assessment tools are practitioner-led, and parents are not asked to complete assessments or provide scores as part of this process. We do, however, ask parents to complete brief pre- and post-course questionnaires to help personalise the support offered and to understand how the service has been experienced.
We turn the generosity of our donors into meaningful investment in the earliest years.
By building knowledge and confidence among parents and professionals, we focus on babies’ experiences within their caregiving relationships—recognising that early relational health has a lifelong impact on children, families and the communities they grow up in.
UNCRC Alignment
Learn more at UNICEF UK – UNCRC
We support babies’ emotional and relational development by strengthening early relationships in the first 1,001 days.
We align our work with the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), particularly those that recognise babies’ right to healthy development and nurturing early relationships.
Our services place babies at the centre of decision-making, supporting professionals and families to focus on relationships as the foundation for healthy early development.
We contribute to early prevention and wellbeing by supporting infant mental health and parental emotional wellbeing.