Pause Bristol’s internal report found that, between 2012 and 2017, there were 127 women in Bristol who had had a combined total of 414 children removed from their care.

The multi-agency scoping report (on which the programme’s launch in June 2017 was based) found that, between 2010 and 2015, 88 Bristol women have had a collective total of 301 children removed from their care (an average of at least three each). The 18 month pilot programme gave 20 of these women the opportunity to take a pause from the usual periods of chaos, anger and reaction to care proceedings and to create space for them to reflect, learn and aspire.

Successive programmes in Bristol, fully funded by Bristol City Council, continue to be hosted by One25. In 2022, One25 began to host Pause programmes on behalf of North Somerset and South Gloucestershire councils.

Pause aims to break the cycle of repeat removal by intervening at a point when the women have no children in their care and offers them a chance to take a pause from the usual periods of chaos, anger and reaction to care proceedings. Pause is different in that it does not define the women in relation to any one issue e.g. substance misuse or criminal justice issues, or to others, but instead helps them to focus on themselves with the purpose of supporting them to take control of their lives and to develop new skills and responses.

Read more on the Pause website

Pause programmes make enormous, life-changing differences to women. Pause’s national impact figures make for impressing reading.

One25 was chosen to host the Pause Bristol and the Pause North Somerset & South Gloucestershire programmes because of our existing expertise.

The issues affecting the marginalised women One25 already works with in the Bristol area are identifiable with many of those affecting women who have had multiple children removed from their care.