23 Sep, 2025
We were delighted to welcome Isabelle Trowler, Chief Social Worker for Children and Families, to visit our team and families in the North East of England last week.
The visit was a special opportunity to showcase the work that The For Baby’s Sake Trust has been doing in the region, and to reflect together on how collaborative approaches can transform the lives of babies, children and parents.
“It was great to learn more about the important work The For Baby’s Sake Trust are doing in the North East and I was delighted to be able to visit and meet with practitioners and families. I look forward to hearing more about the project in the future”.
Isabelle Trowler, Chief Social Worker for Children and Families
The day began with a roundtable event, bringing together partners from across Durham and Darlington. We explored how The For Baby’s Sake Trust has been working in the North East over the past few years, first through For Baby’s Sake Connect, our remote delivery model which was developed during the pandemic. This enabled us to reach families at a distance, providing therapeutic support to parents during pregnancy and the early years of their baby’s life.
Building on this foundation, we were proud to officially launch our permanent North East team earlier this year. This expansion has been made possible thanks to the vision and generosity of our funders – The Kering Foundation, The Hollyhock Foundation, The Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust and The Rothley Trust – who recognised the importance of establishing a dedicated local team to work alongside families, social care and community partners. Their support has allowed us to bring For Baby’s Sake to more families, right where it’s needed most. We are deeply grateful to them for making this milestone possible.
During the roundtable, Isabelle heard directly from our team about how we are working closely with local authorities, children’s social care and voluntary sector organisations. By working collaboratively, we can ensure that parents who want to break cycles of domestic abuse, trauma and adversity are supported in ways that are safe, therapeutic and sustainable. The discussion highlighted the strength of partnership in the North East and the shared commitment to giving every baby the best start in life.
Isabelle also met with families currently working with For Baby’s Sake. Parents spoke openly about their journeys and the progress they are making with the support of our team. Hearing directly from families brought home the impact of the programme and the courage it takes to make positive change.
We want to thank Isabelle Trowler for meeting with our team and the families we support. Her encouragement and insight mean a great deal to us and to the parents on their journey with For Baby’s Sake. We are also very grateful to the representatives from Durham Children’s Services, and from the Durham Police and Crime Commissioner’s office, who attended the event. Their commitment and collaboration are essential to creating the safe, joined-up systems that families need.
