Cliciwch yma am y Gymraeg
Having already explored the range of potential outcomes for the child, we also sought to understand the impact of parent-baby separation on parents. The section above highlights the lack of evidence on surrounding wider family impacts of child removal. However, services which aim to prevent parent-baby separation also aim to support the family through the statutory care process and prevent recurrent proceedings. Data from Wales suggests that between 2011/12 and 2020/21, 16.3% of mothers making an initial family court appearance later returned to court, either with the same child, or a different child (Alrouh, et al., 2022).
Therefore, we set out to explore what could be prevented from a parental perspective, we searched for academic evidence describing the experience of going through statutory care proceedings. No articles were found to have a specific pre-birth focus; ten articles were identified that reviewed involvement with statutory care proceedings more generally. These included a mix of systematic reviews, single studies, and papers from grey literature. While we included systematic reviews which explored multiple countries and contexts, we excluded single studies and grey literature which did not solely focus on the UK system.
Findings
The experience of care proceedings is traumatic and difficult to talk about (Research in Practice, 2023). Many cases where care proceedings take place at birth involve those who have previously had a child removed, or were care-experienced themselves, bringing legacies of these experiences to their engagement with children’s services (Mason et al., 2022). However, the system fails to both support parents or recognise the emotional impact on families (Smithson and Gibson, 2016). This was identified as being particularly pronounced in matters relating to substance use, domestic abuse and mental health, with the system characterised as lacking understanding of, and support for, these situations (Hunter, Thomas and Campbell, 2024). In one study, nearly half of parents interviewed described a lack of compassion and empathy (Smithson and Gibson, 2016). A systematic review highted that social workers often appeared to hold preconceived understandings of family circumstances and presumed trajectories, thereby influencing how the family was dealt with (Bekaert et al., 2021). For those with learning difficulties or disabilities, late identification means that intervention is unlikely to be tailored to parents’ needs (Ryan, 2025).
Where there were good relationships with social workers, parents valued fairness, efforts to build a personal connection, empathy and understanding, and strong communication (Smithson and Gibson, 2016; Bekaert et al., 2021). Other UK-based studies also highlighted that parents value clear and inclusive communication as well as social workers taking time to listen to them (Ghaffar, Manby and Race, 2012; Buivydate et al., 2024).
Shared understanding, co-development of forward plans and joint decision making were seen to be enabling factors for parents wanting to work alongside children’s services (Buivydate et al., 2024). Other enabling factors include recognition and encouragement, practical support to access services and address family needs, and continuity of care (Ghaffar, Manby and Race, 2012; Smithson and Gibson, 2016; Buivydate et al., 2024). A strengths-based approach can help to empower parents involved with children’s services (Beckaert et al., 2021). Intermediaries between social workers and parents can also have an important role, especially for those with learning difficulties or disabilities (Ryan, 2025).
Some literature explicitly highlighted the experiences of fathers in the system. A systematic review of articles highlighted that this was researched less often, but that when fathers’ views were included, they often reported being excluded from the process (Beckaert et al., 2021). Including fathers from the outset is currently not a routine practice and there is a need to work with both parents empathetically (Brandon, Philip and Clifton, 2017).
After court proceedings ceased, research using interviews highlighted a lack of support from judicial and social services, with the voluntary sector providing support, but only where referral criteria allowed (Hunter, Thomas and Campbell, 2024). Both mothers and fathers highlighted a feeling of abandonment by public services and that they struggled to advocate for the appropriate support (Grant et al., 2023). Therefore, social media and community groups often fill the gap of formal support, providing peer support and advice (Hunter, Thomas and Campbell, 2024).
Overall, while there are some positive aspects of practice, and some positive ways in which those involved in children’s services can build positive relationships with parents, the experience of families involved is overwhelmingly negative. As well as the stigma attached to association with children’s services, the experience may be one of “legalistic power over family life” which must be obeyed (Beckaert et al., 2021: 9). Moreover, where parents comply with social services in order to end involvement, new actions with extended timelines are often added, prolonging the experience (Smithson and Gibson, 2017).
Key Points
The lived experience of statutory care proceedings is overwhelmingly negative. Parents feel the system fails to provide support or recognise the emotional impact on families.
Where parents have experienced good relationships with social workers, they have particularly valued fairness, empathy, strong communication and a personal connection.
It is not routine to include fathers from the onset of statutory proceedings. Fathers have reported feeling excluded from the system.
Read the next section: What are the core principles and models of delivery of interventions that aim to prevent parent-baby separation?
Cliciwch yma am y Gymraeg
Having already explored the range of potential outcomes for the child, we also sought to understand the impact of parent-baby separation on parents. The section above highlights the lack of evidence on surrounding wider family impacts of child removal. However, services which aim to prevent parent-baby separation also aim to support the family through the statutory care process and prevent recurrent proceedings. Data from Wales suggests that between 2011/12 and 2020/21, 16.3% of mothers making an initial family court appearance later returned to court, either with the same child, or a different child (Alrouh, et al., 2022).
Therefore, we set out to explore what could be prevented from a parental perspective, we searched for academic evidence describing the experience of going through statutory care proceedings. No articles were found to have a specific pre-birth focus; ten articles were identified that reviewed involvement with statutory care proceedings more generally. These included a mix of systematic reviews, single studies, and papers from grey literature. While we included systematic reviews which explored multiple countries and contexts, we excluded single studies and grey literature which did not solely focus on the UK system.
Findings
The experience of care proceedings is traumatic and difficult to talk about (Research in Practice, 2023). Many cases where care proceedings take place at birth involve those who have previously had a child removed, or were care-experienced themselves, bringing legacies of these experiences to their engagement with children’s services (Mason et al., 2022). However, the system fails to both support parents or recognise the emotional impact on families (Smithson and Gibson, 2016). This was identified as being particularly pronounced in matters relating to substance use, domestic abuse and mental health, with the system characterised as lacking understanding of, and support for, these situations (Hunter, Thomas and Campbell, 2024). In one study, nearly half of parents interviewed described a lack of compassion and empathy (Smithson and Gibson, 2016). A systematic review highted that social workers often appeared to hold preconceived understandings of family circumstances and presumed trajectories, thereby influencing how the family was dealt with (Bekaert et al., 2021). For those with learning difficulties or disabilities, late identification means that intervention is unlikely to be tailored to parents’ needs (Ryan, 2025).
Where there were good relationships with social workers, parents valued fairness, efforts to build a personal connection, empathy and understanding, and strong communication (Smithson and Gibson, 2016; Bekaert et al., 2021). Other UK-based studies also highlighted that parents value clear and inclusive communication as well as social workers taking time to listen to them (Ghaffar, Manby and Race, 2012; Buivydate et al., 2024).
Shared understanding, co-development of forward plans and joint decision making were seen to be enabling factors for parents wanting to work alongside children’s services (Buivydate et al., 2024). Other enabling factors include recognition and encouragement, practical support to access services and address family needs, and continuity of care (Ghaffar, Manby and Race, 2012; Smithson and Gibson, 2016; Buivydate et al., 2024). A strengths-based approach can help to empower parents involved with children’s services (Beckaert et al., 2021). Intermediaries between social workers and parents can also have an important role, especially for those with learning difficulties or disabilities (Ryan, 2025).
Some literature explicitly highlighted the experiences of fathers in the system. A systematic review of articles highlighted that this was researched less often, but that when fathers’ views were included, they often reported being excluded from the process (Beckaert et al., 2021). Including fathers from the outset is currently not a routine practice and there is a need to work with both parents empathetically (Brandon, Philip and Clifton, 2017).
After court proceedings ceased, research using interviews highlighted a lack of support from judicial and social services, with the voluntary sector providing support, but only where referral criteria allowed (Hunter, Thomas and Campbell, 2024). Both mothers and fathers highlighted a feeling of abandonment by public services and that they struggled to advocate for the appropriate support (Grant et al., 2023). Therefore, social media and community groups often fill the gap of formal support, providing peer support and advice (Hunter, Thomas and Campbell, 2024).
Overall, while there are some positive aspects of practice, and some positive ways in which those involved in children’s services can build positive relationships with parents, the experience of families involved is overwhelmingly negative. As well as the stigma attached to association with children’s services, the experience may be one of “legalistic power over family life” which must be obeyed (Beckaert et al., 2021: 9). Moreover, where parents comply with social services in order to end involvement, new actions with extended timelines are often added, prolonging the experience (Smithson and Gibson, 2017).
Key Points
The lived experience of statutory care proceedings is overwhelmingly negative. Parents feel the system fails to provide support or recognise the emotional impact on families.
Where parents have experienced good relationships with social workers, they have particularly valued fairness, empathy, strong communication and a personal connection.
It is not routine to include fathers from the onset of statutory proceedings. Fathers have reported feeling excluded from the system.
Read the next section: What are the core principles and models of delivery of interventions that aim to prevent parent-baby separation?
