Mums Matter- Specialist Community Perinatal Mental Health Service

The Mums Matter programme is a well evidenced, co produced intervention designed with mums for mums, directly addressing a significant service gap for women experiencing mild to moderate perinatal mental health difficulties. With national data showing that up to 20% of women experience perinatal mental health problems and fewer than half receive adequate support, the need for accessible, community-based provision is clear.

Mums Matter offers a structured six week programme incorporating CBT informed approaches, mindfulness, peer support, and self guided learning, supported by practical enablers such as onsite childcare and family supporter sessions. This comprehensive model ensures accessibility, engagement, and sustained recovery beyond the intervention period.

The programme delivers strong, measurable outcomes, with approximately 79% of participants no longer meeting clinical thresholds for depression and 72% for anxiety, alongside improved wellbeing, and social connection. These results demonstrate clear impact, support early intervention priorities, and reduce demand on higher intensity services.

Participant feedback consistently highlights increased confidence, reduced anxiety, and the value of shared experience, evidencing high satisfaction and meaningful change. The model aligns closely with NHS priorities around early intervention, prevention, and community based care, offering a proven, accessible, and cost effective solution.

Taken together, these factors make Mums Matter the most suitable provider for delivering this service. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an Prior Information Notice following the most suitable provider process under PSR.

Mums Matter demonstrate clear suitability to deliver perinatal mental health support through its structured, evidence based and co produced service model, its proven outcomes, and its robust operational processes. The programme includes a 60-90 minute clinical assessment, structured referral pathways, and delivery by trained practitioners supported by volunteers with lived experience, who are all provided with rigorous training and supervision.

The service has a strong track record of measurable impact, with 79% of participants no longer meeting clinical thresholds for depression and 72% for anxiety, showing its ability to deliver high quality outcomes. Its design features CBT informed sessions, mindfulness techniques, on site crèche provision, peer support development, and home learning materials, demonstrating the technical and professional capability required for effective delivery.

Mums Matter also operates as both an early intervention and step-down service, integrating with health visitors, midwives, GPs, and specialist perinatal teams, which evidences the necessary capacity, resources and experience to perform the required activity to an appropriate standard. This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) Prior Information Notice.

This notice is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award.

This notice period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. This notice serves as an Prior Information Notice to award under Most Suitable Provider process.