Born into care refers to situations where a baby is removed from their parents’ care at birth or shortly after. These are often very sensitive and emotional experiences for everyone involved.
In Blackpool, we are working together to make sure families in these situations are treated with empathy, dignity, and respect and that their voices are heard throughout the process.
The co-production team plays a key role in this work, helping to shape services by bringing lived experience into the conversation. We believe that families and professionals working together can make difficult experiences more compassionate, informed, and supportive.
What co-production looks like in born into care
We work closely with parents, carers, and professionals to co-produce improvements in how services support families when a child is born into care. This includes:
- Listening to the voices of parents with lived experience
- Supporting professionals to reflect on practice and improve approaches
- Creating resources and training together
- Promoting trauma-informed, respectful ways of working
Projects we’ve been involved
- Born into care protocol development - We co-produced a new protocol for how services support parents when a baby is removed at birth. This includes clear steps, respectful communication, and joined-up working between services
- Lived experience parent group - We supported the creation of a small group of parents with lived experience who now regularly advise on how to improve services and share their stories to inform better practice
- Training for professionals - We have helped develop and deliver training to social workers, midwives, and health visitors ensuring real-life experiences shape how support is offered before, during, and after birth
- Multi-agency workshops - We’ve facilitated cross-service learning sessions where professionals and parents come together to learn, reflect, and identify changes that could improve experiences
- Feedback into local and national research - Blackpool's work has contributed to national learning around Born into Care, showing how co-production can lead to more humane and effective support
Why It matters
When a child is born into care, the way we communicate and support families can have a lasting impact. Co-production helps ensure:
- Families are treated with empathy and understanding
- Services are coordinated and transparent
- Parents feel listened to even in the most difficult circumstances
- Support is shaped by those who truly understand what it feels like
Understanding your family’s journey – The MAP
As part of our work in the born into care programme, the co-production team has played a key role in co-designing a visual tool called understanding your family’s journey – The MAP.
The MAP was created to help families make sense of the often complex systems around social care and legal processes. It was co-produced by a group of professionals, parents, and carers including the Blackpool Co-production Team who came together with the shared aim of making services easier to understand and navigate.
This project was developed in collaboration with:
- Blackpool Council
- Blackpool HDRC
- Lancaster University
- Blackpool Better Start
- Local NHS services
The MAP was created in response to feedback from families who had been through the care system during pregnancy or birth. They told us they needed a clearer picture of what to expect and who could support them. The result is a practical, family-friendly guide that professionals can use alongside families to explain each step of the journey.
The initial design was developed through an intensive 8-week co-production process, led by the design team at Lancaster University. It has since been revised multiple times through internal and external feedback and will continue to be refined over time.
Download The MAP
Explore all areas of The MAP - Understanding your family's journey by downloading and printing the following materials:
Instructions for printing foldable map
- Print on A4 paper
- Print on both sides of the page
- Flip on the long edge
- Fold once in the middle to create an A5 booklet
Please note: The MAP is designed to be used with the support of a trusted professional who understands the contents. Introducing it to families should be done with care and consideration.
If you have questions or feedback about the MAP, please contact us at: coproduction@blackpool.gov.uk
Links to services and useful information: