Like many parents involved with Children’s Services, I wasn't refusing help — I was overwhelmed, traumatised, and struggling to cope. My interactions with the Children's Social Care system were often marked by changing professionals who lacked a consistent understanding of my situation. Communication was inconsistent, leaving me feeling isolated and misunderstood. Instead of receiving timely and targeted support, assistance often arrived too late, only after we had reached a crisis point. 

My trauma, neurodiversity, and emotional overwhelm were sometimes misinterpreted as “non-engagement” by social care providers, rather than acknowledged as signals that I needed understanding and practical support. This campaign urgently calls for earlier, trauma-informed interventions so families like mine can get the help they need before reaching a breaking point.

Families affected by domestic abuse, trauma, and complex needs are being failed by a system that is supposed to support them.

Too often, these families experience:

Constant changes in social workers
Lack of understanding of trauma and neurodiversity
No access to proper assessments before decisions are made
Unclear expectations that are impossible to follow
Escalation to Pre-Proceedings (PLO) without meaningful support

Some families fall through the gap entirely—not “severe enough” for Adult Social Care, but too complex for basic support services—leaving them with no help until crisis point.

This must change.

We are calling for urgent reform to ensure:

✔ One consistent social worker per family wherever possible
 ✔ No agency social workers managing complex trauma cases
 ✔ Early access to assessments, including PTSD, Complex PTSD, and Borderline Personality Disorder
 ✔ At least 6 months of meaningful support before escalation to Pre-Proceedings
 ✔ Clear, simple, step-by-step support plans
 ✔ Proper training in trauma and neurodiversity for all social workers
 ✔ Real support—not just signposting
 ✔ Accountability for what social workers promise and deliver
 ✔ Paid peer support roles for people with lived experience
 ✔ Support for families who fall between service thresholds

This is not about weakening safeguarding. It is about getting it right earlier, supporting families properly, and preventing unnecessary trauma and court intervention.

Families deserve: Clarity, consistency, understanding and a real chance to succeed

Actionable Solutions: A Path Forward

1. Implement Trauma-Informed Training: Ensure that all professionals involved in Children’s Social Care are trained in trauma-informed approaches. This will help them understand and interpret signs of trauma and neurodiversity, leading to more empathetic and effective interactions.

2. Consistent Professional Relationships: Establish protocols to minimize changes in service personnel working with each family. Consistency helps build trust and ensures that families receive continuous, informed support.

3. Early Intervention Services: Develop and implement services that can be accessed before families reach a crisis. Early, targeted support can prevent the escalation of issues, reducing both emotional and financial costs.

4. Community-Based Support Networks: Consistency Before Crisis has developed a Lived Experience Peer Support Practioner Role, local support groups and community networks, under the Consistency Before Crisis Framework, enabling families to access practical help and peer support by trained lived experience peer support practitioners, reducing reliance solely on professional services bridging the gap in support for many families, reducing the strain on Local Authorities nationwide.

By signing this petition, you will help advocate for a more empathetic and effective Children's Social Care system that recognizes and addresses the unique needs of families experiencing trauma and neurodiversity. Sign now to support essential reform and create a system that genuinely helps families thrive.
Join us in calling for action and sign this petition today.