Two women with experience of the Pause Programme contributed to a new piece of research published this week in the Journal of Public Health, highlighting the need for accelerated support and healthcare for women who have children removed from their care.
We know from our work on maternal mental health, that women who have children removed from their care often have long-standing, entrenched and complex needs they are typically young, socioeconomically disadvantaged and have multiple physical and mental health related challenges. We also know that health needs can be worsened following the removal of child, which in some cases can lead to deteriorating mental health, increased risky behaviours and premature, preventable mortality. Yet, little has been done to think about how health care services might better meet their needs and mitigate these risks.
We welcome this new study, which aims to centre the voices and experiences of women who have had children removed for their care. Along with four other women with experience of care proceedings, two women with experience of the Pause Programme contributed to the research by sharing their own main health challenges and interactions with health services. The findings highlight limitations within current systems of support, including a culture of distrust and women ‘falling between the gaps’ of services.
Key themes that emerged from the women’s narratives include:
- Reflection on how the trauma of having a child removed can worsen preexisting physical conditions
- Treatment plans that focused on pharmaceutical and self-help solutions, rather than access to specialist mental health support
- Intergenerational trends and complex health needs that were endemic within families
- A culture of distrust and scepticism towards public service support
- Substance use as a means to self-medicate unmet needs
- Fear of child protection involvement as a barrier to accessing support for mental health and addiction
- How no longer being viewed as ‘mothers’ by public services impacted on access to support and healthcare
These are themes that are familiar to us at Pause. Once a child has been removed, children’s services are structured so that support follows the child. This leaves the birth mother struggling to cope with existing difficulties, while facing the additional feelings of loss and grief.
Professor Broadhurst found that, without the right support, women often end up stuck in a series of ‘short interval pregnancies and subsequent care proceedings, giving them little time to make changes in their lives’. It is crucial that health services play a role in providing women compassionate support and care, to address their needs and make positive changes. It is imperative that those delivering these services acknowledge the role of being a mother and its impact on health, even when children are no longer in their care.
Data and women’s deaths – an unacceptable reality
Related to this research, our scoping exercises started finding women who had had more than one child removed, who had died before we were able to offer them support. Most of these women died prematurely. Listen to our podcast episode, in which we talk about the premature deaths of women who’ve had more than one child removed from their care. We ask why they died and what can be done about it to make sure women aren’t dying in the future.
