Turning round the lives of vulnerable women in Slough

Pause Slough recently celebrated its first anniversary as part of Slough Children’s Services Trust, a year that has seen the lives turned round of 17 women who were previously at risk of repeat removals of children from their care. For many women working with Pause, it was the first time their needs were prioritised, and the focus was placed on them, to support them and help them realise their goals.

Pause Slough aims to break the cycle of repeat removals by giving women the opportunity to tackle previous negative patterns of behaviour, and develop new skills and responses, empowering them to create a more positive future. In doing so, it can help prevent the damaging consequences to them and their children of being taken into care.

Alongside the life-changing outcomes for those on Pause, the broader impact is an estimated £1 million of public money that has been saved by Pause Slough through the avoidance of care costs that would have been required had previously entrenched patterns continued.

“It has been an incredible and very successful year for Pause Slough,” said Kath Hunt who leads Pause Slough. “The ethos of Pause from the very start has been to do things differently and work in a way that meets the specific needs of the women working with Pause, led by them. By doing so we have been able to start to overcome some of the problems of the past, meet the challenges of the present and build a better future.”

One of the women working with Pause Slough said: “Pause has helped me through the worst days of my life. They have helped me build my confidence in myself and get back to being me again. Without my Pause practitioner and her amazing team, I really don’t know where I would be now.”

“In six months, I have watched my daughter grow in confidence and she has a much more positive attitude which in turn has helped strengthen our relationship too. I hope you have many more years in Slough, continuing the amazing work you’re doing,” said the mother of another women working with Pause Slough.

Pause Slough is part of a national Pause Programme that currently operates in 20 local authority areas across England.