A new service has launched to support vulnerable women living in South Gloucestershire. Pause works with women who have experienced, or are at risk of, repeat removals of children from their care.
Through an intense programme of support, it aims to break this cycle and give women the opportunity to reflect, tackle destructive patterns of behaviour, and to develop new skills and responses that can help them create a more positive future. In doing so, we aim to prevent the damaging consequences of thousands more children being taken into care.
“We’re really pleased to share that Pause has now come to South Glos and we are currently piloting our first community of women. Pause works with women who have experienced, or who are at risk of, repeated pregnancies that result in children needing to be removed from their care. Through our intense, relationship-based programme, we aim to give women the chance to pause and take control of their lives.
Through our work we aim to reduce the number of children being taken into care. Pause helps women to pause and take control of their lives, putting in place strong foundations on which they can build a more positive future for themselves. We aim to break transgenerational cycles and support vulnerable women to develop a sense of self-worth with significant improvements to substance abuse, domestic violence and mental health, as well as improving contact with children and gaining access to services”
The criteria for the programme:
- Be a resident in South Glos, Bristol or North Somerset
- A woman who has no children in her care and she is in a position to focus on herself and her own needs.
- She is ready to take a sustained pause in pregnancy for 18 months.
- Is ready to be supported by their sexual health service to make an informed choice about the method of contraception that is most effective and acceptable to them.
- Has experienced more than one child being removed from their care.
- Age 18 – 40.
- Child/children removed within the last 3 years
- Able to become pregnant
Women can either self-refer by calling our office or emailing, they can also be referred by a professional that is working with them. They must have consented to this referral if someone is referring on their behalf.
