Lancaster University-backed initiative gives HOPE to mums and babies facing separation

The Giving HOPE (which stands for Hold On Pain Eases) project was officially launched by Catherine Randall, the NHS England associate director for safeguarding, at an event at Lancaster University, which led the initiative.

Catherine praised the scheme and said: “Giving HOPE is a project aiming to support mothers and babies who are separated at birth due to safeguarding and child protection concerns.

“Listening to HOPE mothers and midwives across Lancashire and south Cumbria was imperative to understand what matters, how can we do better and the paramountcy of the lived experience.

“We need to continue to improve, learn, support and understand the mother's trauma and grief when a baby is removed at birth.”

The HOPE Boxes are an innovation led by Claire Mason from the university’s Centre for Child and Family Justice Research, developed to support mothers and babies who are separated close to birth due to safeguarding concerns.

The boxes have been co-developed with women with lived experience and underpinned by research carried out at Lancaster University.

Nearly 3,000 babies a year in England are subject to care proceedings within days of birth.

The boxes are provided in pairs, one for mother, one for baby, and hold various objects such as soft blankets, cuddly toys and baby record books, to help preserve the connection between mother and child.

The HOPE Boxes, supported financially by NHS England, Sir Haley Stewart Trust and ESRC Impact Acceleration funding as well as local funding arrangements, are already being implemented in 30 health trusts and local authority areas across the UK.

Wednesday saw the Giving HOPE project launch for Lancashire, which includes University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and the three Lancashire local authorities Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Council and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.

Also at the launch were three of the HOPE mothers who co-created and designed the boxes, specialist midwives who helped inspire the project together with children’s services managers and social workers, third sector representatives and NHS managers.

The launch attendees heard how the Giving HOPE project started and the journey to implementation.

They were then asked to roll up their sleeves to take part in a box-packing session which successfully sought to prepare 150 pairs of HOPE boxes for use by midwives and social workers across Lancashire.

“It was a truly wonderful day,” said Claire. “The commitment shown by Lancashire practitioners striving to implement the HOPE boxes across the whole county is inspiring.

“This project has women with lived experience at the centre and their voices were heard. The university community response was also amazing – seeing so many people working together to achieve our goal – 150 pairs of boxes packed, but most importantly new understandings and connections made through the process.”

For further information on the project contact Claire Mason at [email protected]