Understanding women’s lived experience of children’s social care proceedings: An insight report

This report shares insights from Birth Companions’ recent project for the Tommy’s and Sands Maternity Consortium exploring the impact of children’s social care involvement on women’s mental and physical health and wellbeing.

The project explores themes uncovered during previous work done within the Maternity Consortium looking at the barriers to accessing maternity care for groups at risk of poorer outcomes. Women with experience of children’s social care assessment spoke of the negative impact this had on their antenatal and postnatal care. Many women also said they did not disclose mental health and wellbeing needs for fear that their child would be removed.

This follow-up project led by Birth Companions focuses in depth on understanding women’s experiences of children’s social care involvement during their pregnancy, and in the first two years of their child’s life (in line with the 1001 critical days).

This project was delivered as part of the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance priority projects funding and took place between January and March 2023.

Watch our virtual learning event for this project