A Guide to NHS and Community Support Services Available for New Parents

Why it helps to know what support exists

The first weeks and months with a new baby can feel like learning a completely new job while running on very little sleep. Many parents know their health visitor is a key contact, but fewer realise there's a wider network of NHS and community support designed to help with everything from feeding questions to money worries or simply feeling less alone.

Knowing roughly what kinds of help exist, even before you need them, means you don't have to search from scratch at a difficult moment. This guide maps out the general types of support you're likely to find locally, so you have a sense of where to start looking when something comes up.

Your health visitor and GP are the starting point

A health visitor is a qualified nurse or midwife with extra training, and they're usually your main contact once your midwife's care ends. They may offer to visit from around 28 weeks of pregnancy, and typically carry out a new baby review at home about 10 days after birth. After that you can see them at home, at a child health clinic, your GP surgery or a health centre, depending on how services are organised in your area.

Registering your baby with a GP early on means you have somewhere to turn for both routine checks and anything unexpected. If your baby isn't registered yet but needs to be seen urgently, any GP surgery can provide emergency treatment in the meantime.

Child health clinics and parent and baby groups

Child health clinics are run jointly by health visitors and GPs and offer regular health and development reviews along with vaccinations. They're also a reasonable place to raise general questions about your child, though for an illness it's best to contact your GP directly. Some clinics run additional sessions, such as breastfeeding support or peer groups where parents can meet others going through the same stage.

Parent and baby groups exist in most areas, and some are aimed at parents who share a particular background or culture. Your health visitor may know of groups like these nearby, even if they're not widely advertised.

• Ask your health visitor or GP what's running locally
• Check noticeboards at your clinic, library, GP surgery or supermarket
• Search your local council's website or social media for listings
• Ask about groups for parents with a shared background or culture

Local authority services: family hubs and information points

Your local council usually runs a Family Information Service, which has links to children's centres, Jobcentre Plus, schools, careers advisers and libraries. It can point you towards local childcare options, including support if you need childcare for a child with a disability or additional needs.

In some areas, Best Start Family Hubs bring several services together under one roof, such as parenting classes, access to health visitors, feeding support and postnatal mental health support. These hubs are generally open to parents and carers of children aged 0 to 19, or up to 25 where a child has special educational needs or a disability, so it's worth checking whether one exists near you.

Advice centres and helplines for specific situations

Beyond health services, local advice centres such as Citizens Advice, community law centres, welfare rights offices and housing aid centres can help if you're dealing with benefits, housing or other practical concerns that go alongside new parenthood. These are generally free, independent, and used to supporting people during a stressful or overwhelming time.

There are also helplines and support services aimed at particular circumstances, such as raising a disabled child, parenting alone, or navigating involvement with children's social care. Your health visitor can usually point you towards what's relevant to your situation. If you're worried about your own wellbeing or your baby's health, your midwife, GP, health visitor or maternity triage service is the right place to start that conversation, rather than trying to work it out alone.

Getting the most out of a conversation with a service

Reaching out for support can feel daunting, especially when you're tired or unsure where to begin. A little preparation can make these conversations easier and more useful, whatever service you're contacting.

• Write down what you want to talk about before you call or visit
• Note any relevant details that might help, such as your baby's age
• Say clearly if you don't understand something, and ask for it in writing
• Ask whether support is available in your language, as some areas offer this

Finding what's available near you

Because services vary by area, the most reliable way to find out what's on offer is to check your local council's website, ask your health visitor directly, or look at noticeboards in places like your GP surgery, library or children's centre. Local Facebook groups for parents can also be a useful, informal way to hear what other families nearby have found helpful.

If you'd like more general information to read in your own time, you can browse further guides on the Bump Circle journal at /blog, where we cover practical topics for pregnancy and early parenthood alongside pieces like this one.