Flagship early intervention programme set for further expansion

The Pause project, which aims to break the cycle of repeat pregnancies among women who have already had a child taken into care, is already running in 15 council areas across England, with two more practices set to open in Blackpool and St Helens by the end of the year.

But after receiving £1.5m from the Big Lottery Fund it will look to expand into Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In November 2016 the initiative was backed with £6.8m from the latest round of funding from the DfE's social care innovation programme, for a four-year period up to 2020.

"This is an exciting time for Pause, and a clear indication that our pace of progress shows no sign of slowing," said Sophie Humphreys, the founding chair of Pause.

"We have already had positive discussions with potential partners in the nations, who have seen the impact Pause has had in areas across England.

"Scoping work will begin in Dundee within weeks and we expect other towns, cities and regions, not only in Scotland, but in Wales and Northern Ireland too, to follow their lead soon."

The Big Lottery funding award will also be used to offer ongoing support to women beyond its 18-month long programme.

It will also help develop ways to ensure that women who undertake the programme can have a greater say in the way it offers support. In addition, it will be used to carry out further evaluation of its work.

An evaluation report published in July found that the programme can save councils up to £2.1m a year. 

It also found that between 21 and 36 pregnancies would have occurred among a cohort of 125 women if they had not been engaged with the programme.

Pause launched in Hackney in 2013 and, following a £3m innovation funding award in November 2014, expanded into a further six areas.