Send us a text

A mother loses her children for eight and a half months after a mental health crisis—then fights her way back and builds a movement from that pain. Amy shares how Her Circle grew from an empty room into a charity designed by women with lived experience, focused on recovery, research, and systems change that keep dignity at the centre.

We unpack complex motherhood: the overlapping pressures of poverty, domestic abuse, poor mental health, substance use, disability and criminal justice contact that push families to a breaking point. Amy challenges the myth that removal equals abuse, revealing how a lack of practical support can force “voluntary” care, how risk-averse assessments punish women for male violence, and why the system often confuses unmet needs with intentional harm. She explains how Her Circle restores ownership—through peer-led groups, arts, health and recovery work—and why anonymous access matters when honesty can be used against you.

Drawing on the Still a Mam and Listening Project studies, we explore six recurring themes: the need for trust, anxiety-aware assessments, real advocacy, and time frames that match recovery. We also get candid about resistance from institutions, the cost of speaking up, and the line between collaboration and complicity. The roadmap is practical and hopeful: move perpetrators, not babies; provide mother-and-baby options close to home; reduce procedural pressure to improve outcomes; and build local hubs that nurture long-term recovery.

To learn more about Amy’s work and the charity Her Circle, visit: https://www.hercirclene.co.uk

Subscribe for more conversations that challenge the status quo, share this with someone who needs to hear it, and leave a review to help others find us. Your voice helps push this work forward.

Credits

Produced by Henry Chukwunyerenwa

Support the show

For more unmissable content from The View sign up here