A new project, led by Lancaster University, will see new ‘connection boxes’ designed to help women whose babies are taken into care at birth while a court determines their child’s future.

The recent launch of the ‘Hope Boxes’, containing items including soft blankets, cuddly toys, photographs and baby record books, which aim to improve support and minimise the trauma for parents separated from their babies close to birth due to safeguarding concerns.

The boxes, co-designed with women with lived experience and a group of midwives, will help parents capture important memories before they are separated and maintain a connection between them and their baby post-separation while court proceedings determine longer term plans for the child.

HOPE, which stands for ‘Hold On Pain Eases’ Boxes project builds on the ongoing ‘Born into Care’ research at Lancaster University’s Centre for Child and Family Justice Research as part of the ongoing work with the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory .

A group of women with lived experience of separation at birth were recruited to inform the research.

They shared their often-heart-breaking stories in the hope of facilitating change and improving practice for other women in the future.

The group, self-named ‘The HOPE Mums’, worked with a group of midwives and the research team at Lancaster University, to bring together the HOPE Boxes and their contents which have been carefully designed by the women to support other mothers and their babies.

The boxes are part of the wider Giving HOPE Project, led by Lancaster University’s Centre of Child and Family Justice Research in partnership with the NHS England National Safeguarding team and National Maternity Safeguarding Network and the charity Birth Companions.

The team is currently working with Hospitals Trusts and Children’s Social Care to implement and embed this intervention and other best-practice guidelines.

“The women with lived experience and the midwives involved in the co-production of the HOPE Boxes intervention have been truly dedicated,” says Claire Mason, project lead. “We feel very privileged to have led this work and are excited about the implementation phase.

“We hope that this intervention will help improve practice surrounding separation at birth and that when separation is necessary, the HOPE Boxes help ensure that it is done with humanity and compassion and causes the minimal trauma to mothers and their babies”

· Claire Mason has been recognised nationally for her work on this project and has just been awarded a National Safeguarding Star for Outstanding Practice from NHS England.