Following on from our news about the financial challenges at One25 we are sad to say that funding is not available for One25 to continue to deliver the Pause Programme in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. The Pause Programme is for women who have experienced – or are at risk of experiencing – the removal of more than one child from their care. Working with women over 18 months, experienced Pause Practitioners work with women to support them to pause and take control of their lives, breaking a destructive cycle that causes both them and their children deep trauma.
One25 have hosted Pause Bristol since 2017 and Pause North Somerset & South Gloucestershire since 2022. One25 were chosen to host these programmes because of our expertise in supporting women facing multiple disadvantages. Over this time, 104 women have been supported to make positive changes in their lives.
Pause Bristol and Pause North Somerset & South Gloucestershire have been funded by local authorities and there is not enough funding available to continue them in their current form. As a result, One25 will no longer host either of these programmes beyond the end of August. Discussions are ongoing between the Pause national team, North Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire Council about the potential future for Pause in these areas. It is unfortunately not viable for One25 to host these as a standalone service.
Pause works with women for 12-18 months. Because the Pause Programme is time-limited, the transition at the end of the programme is an integral and integrated part of the process. It is something that Practitioners plan for throughout the delivery of the programme. Most of the women we are now working with will be able to complete the programme in this way. Where this is not the case, we will do as much as we can to ensure the best possible conclusion and signpost to other support where possible.
We have also been providing a Next Steps programme for women who have completed the Pause Programme. Next Steps provides fortnightly groups which focus on peer support and has involved a range of activities. We plan to signpost these women to other support where possible.
We are now consulting with staff who will be directly impacted by the end of One25’s Pause programmes and will support them as best we can through this time. We will be working together to capture the impact that the programmes have had over the last six years including gathering feedback from the women.
One25 is not closing and the fact that our Pause Bristol and Pause North Somerset & South Gloucestershire programmes will end will not impact our other work. We will continue to deliver outreach each night and one-to-one casework for women who are street sex-working in our city. We are also developing a new Health Hub service at our centre and will share more on this in due course.
We are grateful for everything that we have learned working with Pause and the local authorities. We remain hopeful for the future and will continue to do the best that we can with the resources that we have.
If you have further questions, please do get in touch.
