Hi Cher, really sorry to hear you've had such a tough time and well done to you for wanting to return to work. Can't offer any specific advice myself, I'm sure the community will step in with some helpful and supportive ideas, in the meantime please look at this link for the CIPD website and the potential support they can also give you:
www.cipd.co.uk/.../career-guidance
There's stuff about handling a career break and returning to work after a break. :-)

The most reliable pathway back into HR, like this, is temping. Temp contracts, by their very nature, tend to be short notice and therefore less discriminating when it comes to getting the best person: the person who is available to attend at the least notice and who has the basic necessary skills will usually do!

It gives you exposure to a range of different companies with different cultures, and is likely to expose you to a range of HR activities within these. Because you're only a temp, no one expects you to stay for long so it won't matter to future recruiters if you did three months here or six months there.

It also means that, if a company is "testing the waters" for a role via a temp, you're first in line to get the permanent job. If you are timely, diligent and professional why would they look anywhere else?

In reply to Clare Marie:

Thank you for this, I will have a good read x