National organisation Pause is helping Bexley council to provide support for vulnerable mothers at risk of losing their children, in return for their promise to use contraception.

The majority of these women have been subjected to abuse or suffer from addiction, and have their children removed. Issue has been raised with the process - too many children are removed from their homes without any intervention, and the cycle repeats itself.

Pause offer an 18 month programme to help struggling mothers. They support them in trying to find education and better housing, so they can keep their children.

In return for the help, they only ask that the women use contraception during this time. This aims to reduce the cost of child support for the council, as well as allowing mothers to keep their children.

Pause released controversial statement that said 85% of mothers in Bexley have been victims of some form of domestic abuse and this is a cycle that Bexley Council has agreed needs to be broken.