Applications to mother and baby units in prison

This review was undertaken by the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families, Isabelle Trowler. It examines the decision-making process for prison mother and baby unit applications, and child and family social workers’ role in this.

Birth Companions are pleased to have played a role in the Chief Social Worker’s MBU review. This project, conducted with What Works for Children’s Social Care, was shaped and informed from the outset by members of Birth Companions’ Lived Experience Team. Its findings shine a powerful spotlight on the urgent need for a more robust, consistent and rights-driven approach in the prison Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) application process. 

Read Birth Companions' full comment on the Chief Social Worker’s review of decision-making in applications to prison Mother and Baby Units (MBUs).