News & Resources – Press Releases

Address by Sir James Munby, Chair Nuffield Family Justice Observatory and former President of the Family Division, at the Nagalro conference on 13 March 2023

THE NAGALRO SPRING ONLINE CONFERENCE ‘Understanding the Real Cost of Deepening Poverty for Children – can we remain hopeful and helpful? Monday 13 March 2023 An introductory paper by Sir James Munby   The aim of this important... Read more

Nagalro Press Release: "WHOLE SYSTEM CHANGE AT ALL LEVELS" required for black children seeking adoption, House of Lords finds

 “WHOLE SYSTEM CHANGE AT ALL LEVELS” REQUIRED FOR BLACK CHILDREN SEEKING ADOPTION HOUSE OF LORDS FINDS The report of the House of Lords’ Children and Families Act 2014 Committee published its report on 6 December 2022.  The report’s title is ‘A... Read more

Nagalro Press Release calling for for the reinstatement of s1(5) Children and Families Act 2014

NAGALRO CALLS FOR REINSTATEMENT OF s1(5) CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ACT 2014 Nagalro has submitted evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on the Children and Families Act 2014.  For children in England (but not in Wales) the 2014 Act removed... Read more

Nagalro supports legal colleagues within the criminal justice system

Nagalro acknowledges the escalated industrial action being taken by our legal colleagues within the criminal justice system.  We recognise that barristers are dealing with the unprecedented backlog of 58,000 cases within the criminal justice system.... Read more

Nagalro responds to The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care

NAGALRO RESPONDS TO THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF CHILDREN’S SOCIAL CARE Nagalro has issued an initial response to Josh MacAlister’s report ‘The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care.  Nagalro’s Chair, Carole Littlechild, said that the... Read more

Nagalro Press Release commenting on the President's Report on Transparency in the Family Courts

Nagalro has been taking a close interest in the President's Report on Transparency in the Family Courts, and we have added a brief comment from Nagalro in a Press Release.  The identification of children and young people and the detail of abuse they... Read more

Article 39 Court of Appeal judgment. DoE is NOT seeking to appeal.

‘The Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020’ -statutory instrument: no 445

The Court of Appeal found the Secretary of State for Education to have acted unlawfully in removing safeguards for children in care by failing to consult the Children’s Commissioner and other bodies representing the rights of children in care before... Read more

Nagalro Press Release and Briefing Paper regarding reform of the Child Welfare Reporter Role in Scotland

NAGALRO URGES REFORM OF THE CHILD WELFARE REPORTER ROLE 25 August 2020 - Latest News 1) The amendment to the Children (Scotland) Act re Child Welfare Reports only being authored by registered Social Workers was formally withdrawn by the... Read more

Nagalro Anti Racist Statement

There can be no conceivable justification for the killing, by slow asphyxia, of George Floyd, who was handcuffed at the time of his death.  The protests across the world... Read more

Covid-19: Update from Nagalro

Check government guidance regularly

Covid-19 The Covid-19 outbreak imposes very significant challenges for all of us.  Nagalro members including ISWs, Children’s Guardians and Family Court Advisers carry out extremely important work often under challenging circumstances.  However,... Read more

Nagalro Press Release raising concern about the role of the Guardian

Nagalro is concerned that Cafcass public statements have disseminated inaccurate information on its website, which appear to dilute the role of the Children’s Guardian and minimise their legal obligations. A number of recent judgments have... Read more

On-going ISW pay Freeze endangers most vulnerable children

This month the Legal Aid Agency reissued its Guidance on the Remuneration of Expert Witnesses1. This document, together with regulations made in 2013, fix the payments which can be made by the Legal Aid Agency where experts prepare reports for the... Read more

Nagalro Press Release re Nagalro Guide to the Cafcass Professional Time Guidance

Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru’s ‘Draft Guidance on the Use of Professional Time to Benefit Children’ came to Nagalro’s attention a year ago. Here, Judith Timms OBE, Nagalro Policy Consultant, explains the decisive action Nagalro has taken to air... Read more

Nagalro Joins Voices Condemning FDAC National Unit Closure

Nagalro Joins Voices Condemning FDAC National Unit Closure Download consultation here  Read more

Child Welfare professionals warn of unacceptable risks arising from time managed Cafcass Policies

LEADING CHILD WELFARE PROFESSIONALS WARN OF UNACCEPTABLE RISKS ARISING FROM TIME MANAGED CAFCASS POLICIES For immediate release on 10 April 2018 Nagalro and seventeen other professional bodies and individuals have issued a Joint Position... Read more

Nagalro urges review of LAA benchmark for prior authority on hours allowed for ISW assessments

Nagalro calls upon the Secretary of State for Justice to review upwards the Legal Aid Agency benchmark for prior authority on the hours allowed for Independent Social Work Assessments, in the light of Dr Brophy’s Oxford University... Read more

Joint Press Release: Senior judges back family court role for under-threat independent social workers.

Download press release 11 September 2013 Read more

New research explodes myths about Independent Social Work Experts

Download Press release 19 April 2012 Read more

Government response to the Family Justice Review weakens safeguards for children

Government response to the Family Justice Review weakens safeguards for children  10 February 2012 Download press release here  Read more

Joint Letter to under Secretary of State for Children and Families re ISW expertise

Download letter here 11 November 2011 Read more