A blog from Terri Anne, Connected Project Worker
Over the past year, I’ve supported many care-experienced parents navigating systems designed to protect children.
But three cases have stayed with me, not because they were unusual, but because they revealed a pattern that is far too common.
Three different families.
Three different local authorities.
Three children who needed support.
Not suspicion. Not escalation. Just the right support.
Two cases involved parents trying to secure appropriate SEN provision for their children. The third involved a mother navigating family court, trying to protect her child from a father who had been abusive to both of them (Radford & Hester, 2006). Despite repeated disclosures, he had residency.
On the surface, very different situations.
But underneath, the same thread ran through all three.
The Golden Thread – When Trauma Is Misread as Risk
In each case, the parent’s lived experience of care became the lens through which they were judged.
When they became overwhelmed, frustrated, or triggered, responses rooted in trauma, these were not understood.
They were documented. Reframed. Escalated.
Trauma research shows that early adversity significantly impacts how individuals respond to stress, authority, and perceived threat (Public Health England, 2015).
Care-experienced individuals are more likely to have experienced disrupted attachments, loss, and institutional harm, all of which shape adult interactions with services (Treisman, 2018).
Yet instead of recognising these responses as understandable, they were treated as indicators of risk.
This highlights a critical gap in practice.
Being trauma-trained is not the same as being trauma-responsive.
Trauma-informed frameworks emphasise safety, trust, collaboration, and empowerment (SAMHSA, 2014). However, where these principles are not embedded in practice, systems can unintentionally retraumatise those they are designed to support.
The State as Both Cure and Cause
There is growing evidence that care-experienced parents are disproportionately subject to child protection intervention (Broadhurst et al., 2017).
This is not necessarily because they are more likely to harm their children, but because they are more visible to services, more heavily scrutinised, and more likely to have their behaviours misinterpreted.
In one case I supported, the parent was engaging with the same local authority that had failed her as a child.
Her responses, shaped by fear and past harm, were entirely rational.
However, rather than being recognised as trauma responses, they were used as evidence against her (Ministry of Justice, 2020).
This reflects wider systemic concerns identified in family justice reviews, including the minimisation of domestic abuse and the misinterpretation of children’s and parents’ experiences (Ministry of Justice, 2020; Radford & Hester, 2006).
This is what we mean when we say the system can be both the cure and the cause.
A Different Approach – Relational, Trauma-Responsive Advocacy
My role in these cases was not to fix families.
It was to walk alongside them.
To support regulation, strengthen communication, and advocate for trauma-informed responses from professionals.
This approach aligns with relational social work practice, which prioritises trust, consistency, and partnership as key drivers of positive outcomes (Research in Practice, 2021).
When parents feel safe and respected, they are more able to engage, advocate effectively, and meet their children’s needs.
Across all three cases, outcomes shifted.
One child was stepped down from a child protection plan, with appropriate support put in place and a formal apology issued to the parent.
Another case resulted in court decisions that enabled the child to remain safely with their mother, alongside recognition of coercive and controlling behaviour by statutory agencies (Ministry of Justice, 2020; Radford & Hester, 2006).
The third family is still navigating services, but is now being heard, with support beginning to align with need.
These outcomes demonstrate the impact of working with families, rather than doing to them.
Breaking Cycles, Not Reinforcing Them
Intergenerational cycles of trauma are not inevitable.
They can be interrupted through protective relationships and early, appropriate support (Public Health England, 2015).
Care-experienced parents are often highly motivated to provide different experiences for their children.
However, without trauma-informed support, they are managing parenting, trauma, and systemic pressures simultaneously.
When systems respond with judgement, they risk reinforcing cycles of harm.
When systems respond with understanding, they create the conditions for change.
The Gap We Can No Longer Ignore
There is currently no consistent, accessible offer of advocacy and support for care-experienced parents over the age of 28. Support that exists for younger care-experienced parents (as amazing as some of these services are) is fragmented, geographically inconsistent, and often withdrawn as needs become more complex.
Many services focus on early parenthood, leaving a gap for those parenting later or navigating more complex circumstances.
This gap increases the risk of escalation, not because of parental harm, but because of unmet need.
Why This Matters
Trauma-responsive, relational advocacy is not an optional approach.
It is preventative.
It reduces unnecessary child protection intervention, improves engagement, and supports families to remain safely together.
Most importantly, it helps rebuild trust in systems that many care-experienced parents have experienced as harmful.
This is where my fellowship aims to bridge that gap and drive meaningful change.
Terri-Anne Hamer
2025 Churchill Fellow
Project worker and advocate at The Care Leavers’ Association
References
Broadhurst, K., Mason, C., Rose, W., & Alrouh, B. (2017). Vulnerable birth parents and recurrent care proceedings: Beyond the statistics. Family Law, 47(7), 881–898.
Ministry of Justice. (2020). Family justice review: Analysis and findings. London: Ministry of Justice.
Public Health England. (2015). Improving the health and wellbeing of looked-after children and young people. London: Public Health England.
Radford, L., & Hester, M. (2006). Mothering through domestic violence. Violence Against Women, 12(9), 1011–1035.
Research in Practice. (2021). Relational practice in social work: A framework for improving outcomes. Dartington: Research in Practice.
SAMHSA. (2014). Trauma-informed care in behavioral health services: Treatment improvement protocol (TIP) series 57. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Treisman, K. (2018). The impact of early adversity on adult social functioning. Social Work & Society, 16(2), 1–14.