Across the UK, too many women and children are navigating a system that is meant to protect them, but too often leaves them unheard, misunderstood, and at risk.
At the heart of this reality is our Believe project, part of the work of Her Place Charitable Trust. Believe exists to stand alongside mothers who are facing some of the most complex and challenging circumstances, particularly those at risk of child protection intervention or navigating the family court system. Through support, advocacy, and collaboration, we create spaces where women are believed, not blamed, and where their voices begin to shape change.
But listening to women is only the beginning.
Every day, through our work, we hear stories that point to a deeper, systemic issue, one that cannot be ignored. Women tell us about their experiences in the family courts: experiences where domestic abuse is minimised, misunderstood, or even dismissed entirely. Experiences where survival strategies are misinterpreted, and where the safety of both mother and child is not always fully recognised.
This is not just anecdotal. National reports have highlighted that many survivors feel re-traumatised by the family court process, with abuse often not properly understood or taken into account in decisions about children’s welfare.
It is from these lived experiences that The Tide was born.
The Tide: A Film with Purpose
The Tide is more than a film – it is a call to action.
Commissioned as part of our Believe campaign, the film shines a light on the injustices many mothers face within the family court system, particularly where domestic abuse is present. It has been created not just to tell a story, but to shift understanding.
We secured funding for The Tide with a clear intention: to create a training tool that brings real-life insight into professional spaces.
Because policy alone does not change systems – people do.
By capturing the emotional and psychological realities of navigating the courts, The Tide invites professionals to see beyond case files and legal frameworks, and instead connect with the human impact of their decisions. It challenges assumptions, raises difficult questions, and creates space for reflection.
Why This Matters
Domestic abuse is complex. It is not always visible. It does not always present in ways systems expect.
Yet too often, systems rely on narrow definitions and outdated perceptions. This can lead to dangerous consequences, where protective mothers are seen as obstructive, where trauma responses are misunderstood, and where children are placed at continued risk.
We cannot accept this as inevitable.
Through Believe, we are already bringing professionals together—across social care, criminal justice, health, and the voluntary sector—to share learning, challenge practice, and build solutions collaboratively.
The Tide takes this work further.
Influencing Change Where It Matters Most
Our ambition is clear.
We want The Tide to be used in training rooms, court settings, and policy discussions. We want it to be seen by barristers, magistrates, social workers, and MPs. We want it to spark conversations that are honest, sometimes uncomfortable, but always necessary.
Because change will only happen when systems begin to truly understand the realities of domestic abuse, and the risks of getting it wrong.
This is about more than awareness. It is about accountability. It is about embedding trauma-informed practice at every level of decision-making. It is about ensuring that when women speak, they are heard—and when children need protection, they are safe.
Turning the Tide Together
We know that change is possible.
We see it in every professional who is willing to listen differently. In every conversation that challenges the status quo. In every step towards a system that is fairer, safer, and more compassionate.
The Tide is just one part of that movement.
And this is only the beginning.
Together, through Believe, through partnership, and through courage, we can turn the tide.
Because women and children deserve nothing less.