Charity partnership
Slater and Gordon announces newest charity partner, Petals
The new partnership aims to ensure that more families who have experienced bereavement and birth trauma can receive timely access to psychological support through counselling, as well as legal guidance.
A pioneering partnership between Slater and Gordon and Petals has been newly announced, enabling further specialist support for parents following baby loss.
The new partnership aims to ensure that more families who have experienced bereavement and birth trauma can receive timely access to psychological support through counselling, as well as legal guidance.
In data provided by Petals, stillbirth and neonatal death occur in 2% of pregnancies, affecting 12,400 parents each year. Specialist counselling can be a lifeline for those who have experienced baby loss.
Established in 2011, Petals is now recognised as a vital partner to the NHS, with 25 partnerships across the UK, delivering over 550 counselling sessions every month – all free at the point of access for those in need.
Originally offering counselling in a single hospital in the South East, the charity has significantly expanded its national reach in recent years, now supporting more regions across the UK and offering accessible online pathways. Its commitment to helping as many clients as possible has seen over 10,000 people benefit from Petals services with an aim to reach even more.
Petals takes a holistic approach to its services, recognising how complex it can be for each parent to seek psychological support. Parents accessing the service receive tailored counselling in areas such as bereavement, trauma recovery, anxiety, and relationship guidance
In collaboration with Slater and Gordon, the Petals team is able to reach more parents who have experienced medical negligence during pregnancy and birth. Working in collaboration, both organisations can ensure proper support is provided in all areas, whilst also navigating legal processes.
Emma Doughty, Head of Clinical Negligence at Slater and Gordon, says: “Petals is a truly inspiring charity. Its counselling sessions have been shown to be life-changing for many families on a national level with further ambitions to reach even more.
“Baby loss is a devastating thing to experience and specialist support is so vital to parents to overcome these challenging times and navigating pregnancy after loss.
“It is evident that with this partnership we can allow more parents to benefit from Petals’ services and our clients to access specialist support as soon as possible. Our team truly looks forward to working with them.”
Paula Mothersole, Charity Business Manager at Petals, says: " We work in close partnership with a number of NHS Trusts, ICBs, and hospitals, but we are always looking for new and meaningful ways to reach parents affected by pregnancy and baby loss who need highly specialist support. Our counselling service is unique in its focus, providing expert, trauma-informed care that helps both parents navigate profoundly difficult experiences and begin to rebuild their lives.
“Our partnership with Slater and Gordon represents an important step forward. By integrating counselling into the legal claims process, we can ensure that more families have access to the support they need, at the time they need it most. It’s incredibly positive news that many more parents will now benefit from our specialist, tailored counselling through this collaboration.”
Media enquiries:
Lauren Braithwaite - Communications & Marketing Manager
Email: lauren@petalscharity.org
Tel: 07704 664049
About Petals
Petals is the Baby Loss Counselling Charity. We offer free, specialist counselling to support the mental health of women, men, and couples facing the heartbreak of pregnancy or baby loss. Our professional counsellors provide a compassionate, safe space where parents can process their grief and trauma, and begin to rebuild hope for the future.
Our counselling programme is unique—specifically developed to meet the complex needs of bereaved parents. Our expert team brings many years of experience supporting individuals after all types of baby loss, including miscarriage, stillbirth, termination for medical reasons (TFMR), neonatal death, and pregnancy after loss.
We work in partnership with a number of NHS hospitals and trusts to deliver this essential service. However, these partnerships represent just the tip of the iceberg. Demand for support through our charitable pathway—designed for those who received maternity care outside of these NHS partnerships—has never been higher. Due to limited funding, this pathway is not currently available to everyone who needs it, and we are working hard to bridge this gap.
That’s why our vision is to ensure that every parent in the UK can access our specialist counselling, regardless of their circumstances or location. Petals relies on the generosity of our supporters to grow this vital service and reach more families at their time of greatest need.
Learn more at www.petalscharity.org
