The Project
Making trauma-informed maternity care the standard, not the exception.
SAFER Birth Project exists to change how maternity care is delivered for survivors of sexual trauma, through training, direct support, and systemic change.
Our mission
Training. Community. Change.
Three pillars. One purpose: safer maternity care for every woman and birthing person, whether their history is known or not.
Training
Equipping maternity professionals with the knowledge, skills, and clinical tools to recognise trauma responses and provide care that is safe, not just clinically, but emotionally.
Community
Supporting women and birthing people directly. Offering compassionate, non-clinical support during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum for survivors of sexual trauma. No one should navigate this alone.
Change
Working with NHS trusts, maternity teams, and organisations to shift how care is delivered. Not as a specialist add-on, but as a standard of practice.
what we do
Our work
Deliver professional training to maternity teams across the UK, from individual midwives to full NHS trust teams
Provide direct, non-clinical support to women and birthing people navigating pregnancy and birth after sexual trauma
Partner with NHS trusts, perinatal organisations, and third sector services
Raise awareness of the impact of sexual trauma on the perinatal experience
Develop practical resources and clinical tools for use in maternity settings
Advocate for trauma-informed care as a universal standard of practice, not a specialist accommodation
How we are structured
THE STRUCTURE
SAFER Birth Project works through two connected organisations.
Â
SAFER Birth Project CIC provides free, non-clinical support directly to women who are survivors of sexual trauma. The CIC's free support for women is funded through grants, partnerships with perinatal and women's organisations, and, increasingly, NHS commissioning.
Â
SAFER Birth Training Ltd provides professional training to the maternity teams who care for them. The training changes how professionals give care; the CIC changes how women experience it.
Â
Women are never charged for the CIC's support.
Why this matters
The gap we are filling
An estimated one in four women in England and Wales has experienced sexual assault. Most will never disclose. They will arrive at maternity services, and no one will know.
​
But their bodies will remember. And routine maternity care, delivered with the best intentions, can trigger trauma responses that are misread, mismanaged, and sometimes deepened by the very system meant to help.
​
There is currently no specialist UK training programme focused specifically on the intersection of sexual trauma and maternity care. Generic trauma-informed care training exists, but it does not address the unique triggers, responses, and clinical challenges that arise when a survivor enters the maternity system.
​
That is what SAFER Birth Project was built to address.
Our principles
What guides us
Care as if trauma is present, whether disclosed or not. This is our foundational principle. You do not need to know who is a survivor. You need to provide care that is safe for everyone.
​
Universal, not specialist. Trauma-informed care is not an extra step for identified survivors. It is a way of practising that benefits all women and birthing people and reduces harm for those whose histories are hidden.
​
Practical, not theoretical. We teach what to do, what to say, and how to respond. Not just what to understand.
​
Respectful of the work already being done. Maternity professionals care deeply. They are not failing because they are careless. They are failing because they were never taught this.
"This is not specialist accommodation. This is safer care."
Where we are heading
Our vision at CIC
2026
Launch
Building relationships with NHS trusts and maternity teams.Â
Seeking grants and commissioning
2027
Growth
Funded support for women and birthing people begins
Established NHS trust partnerships
As funding is secured
2028
Scale
National reach
Measurable impact on outcomes
Long term
Standard of care
Trauma-informed maternity care recognised as a core competency, not an optional extra.Every maternity team equipped. Every woman safer.
Where we are heading
Our vision for professionals at Ltd.
2026
Launch
First training deliveries. Website live. Free webinar launched.Â
2027
Growth
Training delivered to hundreds of professionals. SAFER Birth Certified Practitioner pathway introduced. Resource library and CPD membership launched.
2028
Scale
National reach. University partnerships. Accredited CPD. A network of SAFER Birth trained professionals across the UK. Measurable impact on maternity care outcomes.
Long term
Standard of care
Trauma-informed maternity care recognised as a core competency, not an optional extra. Every maternity team equipped. Every woman safer.
Partner logos, impact data, and testimonials will be added here as the project grows.
Partnerships and impact
Working together
We are building partnerships with NHS trusts, maternity teams, universities, charities, and perinatal organisations across the UK.
If your organisation is interested in working with us, we would welcome a conversation.
FUNDING
Fund the work
The support SAFER Birth Project CIC provides is free to every woman who needs it. It is made possible by grants, partnerships and commissioning. If you are a funder, an NHS commissioner, or someone who wants to help more women access this support, we would welcome a conversation. Every contribution funds support a woman will never be charged for.
Contact: hello@saferbirthproject.co.uk