Women may be urged to ‘Pause’ pregnancies

Discussions with organisation to help mothers end their ‘negative cycle’

An innovative scheme aimed at helping women who risk having children taken away because they keep getting pregnant could be rolled out in Dundee.

Women would be supported in delaying future pregnancies under the initiative.

If it goes ahead, it will the first programme of its kind to operate in Scotland.

Jane Martin, Dundee City Council’s chief social work officer, has been in discussions with English organisation Pause.

It works with women at risk of repeated pregnancies, resulting in children being removed from their care due to their circumstances.

There are 20 Pause practices operating across England, which offers women an 18-month intensive package of support to address a range of emotional, psychological, practical, and behavioural needs.

As a condition, the women agree to use an effective form of reversible contraceptive for the duration of the programme.

In the past five years, 113 women in Dundee have had 341 children removed from their care by social services, due to issues such as substance misuse or poor mental health.

Ms Martin said: “Pause has recently been in discussion with council officers from Dundee about the possibility of piloting a service in Scotland.

“It has been identified there would be a demand for this type of service in Dundee.

“The approach aims to provide additional support in order to end this negative cycle and enable the women to move forward in their lives.”