Programme
A National Integrated Care Framework
Co-designing a national integrated care framework for women and babies with children's social care involvement in the first 1001 days
Since mid-2025, the Birth Companions Institute has been working with those who have relevant lived and learned experience to co-design a new approach to supporting pregnant women, mothers and babies where there is involvement from children's social care. This work is focused on the first 1001 days – the period from the point of conception to a child’s second birthday – which evidence shows is critical in laying the foundations for children’s long-term health and wellbeing.
This project developed out of a core recommendation in the Birth Companions Birth Charter (2023), and from the hugely influential Born into Care research series from Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. It is also shaped by research on maternal mortality among women known to children’s social care, by MBRRACE-UK at Oxford University and with Kings College London
We built a National Advisory Group including women with lived experience of infant care proceedings, academics, and policy and practice leaders from across social care, health, family justice and beyond.
Alongside this group, we created an extensive co-design community, made up of practice professionals and women with lived experience from around the country, incorporating expertise on housing, domestic abuse, substance use, and criminal justice.
This diversity of voices has been essential in shaping the work, which has attracted huge interest. The national call for evidence held last summer received over 120 submissions, and we're extremely grateful to all who have contributed their time and insight.
In the course of the co-design process, this project has evolved from being called a 'National Care Pathway' to the National Integrated Care Framework, supporting mothers and babies with children's social care involvement in the first 1001 days. This is still a working title, but our group feels it better reflects the nature of the project and signals shared responsibility across sectors.
After a series of productive meetings, and close analysis of the call for evidence submissions, the co-design community has now developed a set of draft principles emphasising hope, relationships, and continuity of care.
The group agreed to focus on adaptable broad principles rather than prescriptive specifications as the foundation of the Framework. These include trauma-informed practice; centring lived experience in service design and delivery; ensuring advocacy for all; and respecting women's maternal identities.
We're now working to develop these principles more fully, along with conditions for implementation, and running further engagement sessions with key groups including housing and family justice professionals.
We’re also working with three early adopter sites around the country, who have committed to testing how to embed the Framework in local action plans later this year.
