Investigating the processes involved with women known to children's services

Abstract

Section A
Background and Aims: Birth mothers involved with children’s services often have histories of trauma. While its impact on parenting is acknowledged and women report negative experiences with these services, few studies examine their trauma histories and how these influence their lives. This study aimed to explore such histories and their potential effects.

Method: Following PRISMA guidelines, four databases were systematically searched for studies focusing on birth mothers with trauma histories who have encountered children’s services. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria.

Results: The studies were reasonably sound in recruitment, design, data collection, and validity of findings. However, researcher bias and limited generalisability, due to factors like participation in therapeutic programmes, sociopolitical contexts, and family size differences, affected conclusions. A narrative synthesis revealed seven themes: trauma experiences, trauma effects, parenting influence, relationships with services, racism experiences, support networks, and women’s strengths, though studies addressed these themes unevenly.

Conclusion: While methodological quality was reasonable, the small number of studies, limited samples, and missing information restrict firm conclusions, emphasising the need for more research. Despite these limitations, shared experiences, particularly anger and mistrust, offer valuable insights for developing trauma-informed approaches to better support women engaging with children’s services.

Section B
Background and aims: This study aimed to explore the social and psychological influences involved in the experience of women who go through care proceedings and face child removal. Many have experienced trauma, mental health challenges, and systemic marginalisation, yet their experiences within legal processes remain underexplored. Using a feminist-informed approach, this research examines individual, relational, and systemic influences, aiming to develop an explanatory theory that highlights women's voices and informs trauma-informed, compassionate support.

Method: Eight women and three professionals were interviewed. Data were analysed using Grounded Theory.

Results: A preliminary model shows that throughout care proceedings, women are repeatedly positioned as the problem, while services feel persecutory. Ruptures in relationships with professionals occur at different stages, influencing psychological well-being and reducing the effectiveness of support. This cycle continues, shaped by systemic factors and broader societal contexts.

Conclusion: The findings extend our understanding of women’s experiences in care proceedings, linking results to developmental theories and existing research. Clinically, trauma-informed support and frameworks like the power threat meaning framework could better address their needs. Future research could assess these approaches, explore the role of class and socio-demographics, and examine how external support can be more effective.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English