News & Resources – Publications/Research

Note issued by the Hague Conference on Private International Law (‘HCCH’) about cross border protection and intercountry adoption

Children deprived of their family environment due to the armed conflict in Ukraine In the light of the number of children displaced from their homes and families by the war in Ukraine the Hague Conference on Private International Law (‘HCCH’) has... Read more

Family Justice Young People's Board launches book 'In Our Shoes'

The Family Justice Young People’s Board (FJYPB) launched its first book, In Our Shoes on 27 January 2022. One of the greatest strengths of the board members lies in the members’ willingness and ability to share their experiences of the family... Read more

Nuffield FJO paper on children's experiences of private law proceedings

The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory has recently published a new paper on children’s experiences of private law proceedings brings together the findings of 45 UK and international studies spanning 20 years (2000 - 2020). The research suggests... Read more

Supervision of Contact - Assessing Relatives and Friends (SCARF): Tool for assessing wider family and friends to support contact.

Supervision of Contact - Assessing Relatives and Friends (SCARF): Tool for assessing wider family and friends to support contact. Click here to download Tool Read more

Urgent out of hours application for treatment/deprivation of liberty order (16 yr old; LA has PR): Judge finds the LA less than helpful.

A very recent case is of interest where an NHS Trust applied to a Judge in the early hours of the morning for an urgent order so that blood tests and treatment be provided (there was concern about a significant risk of liver failure) for a 16 year... Read more

DfE Adoption Strategy published July 2021

Click here to download the Adoption Strategy published by the DfE on 27 July 2021      Read more

Case For Change. Government's current independent review of Children's Social Care

Please click on this link to download the update titled 'The Case for Change' from the Government's independent review of Children's social care. 17 June 2021 Read more

A rapid review of Evidence: Supporting and strengthening families through provision of early help

A Rapid Review of Evidence by Amy Edwards, Roya Gharbi, Ava Berry, Robbie Duschinsky June 2021 This research is part of Living Assessments, a five–year research project on children’s health and social care funded by the Wellcome Trust in a... Read more

Report from Nuffield FJO on newborn babies in urgent care proceedings

New statistics published on infants in care proceedings today reveal that the number of cases has continued to grow in England and Wales in recent years. Statistics also show that in the majority of cases involving newborn babies parents are given... Read more

Article in Community Care: Cafcass case numbers hit new record but staffing boost keeps social work caseloads in check

Please click here to read the article in Community Care Read more

Ethnic disproportionality in remand and sentencing in the youth justice system

This research was published in January 2021 and be downloaded here.     Read more

Article in Social Work Today: How the latest children's social care review could pave the way for further privatisation

Ray Jones, author of “In Whose Interest? The Privatisation of Child Protection and Social Work”, argues that the latest review of children’s social care in England has “every danger” of being another step towards further privatisation. Article... Read more

Children's Commissioner report on state of children's mental health services in England

Please click here to download Children's Commissioner report published in January 2021 on the state of children's mental health services in England Read more

Remote hearings in the family justice system: September 2020 follow-up consultation

The President of the Family Division asked the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory to undertake a rapid consultation on the use of remote hearings in the family court. The consultation ran for a two-week period from 14 to 28 April 2020 and well over... Read more

Article in CYPN: Critics Accuse DfE of 'Sinking to New Low' over revised consultation results

This article by Children and Young People Now and published on their website is copied below or can be downloaded by clicking on this link: ... Read more

Children’s Commissioner’s report on children being placed in unregulated accommodation published 10 September 2020

In her report today, Ann Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England calls for a ban on the use of unregulated accommodation for children in care. She says: At the moment, some of the country’s most vulnerable teenagers are being housed in... Read more

Nuffield Family Justice Observatory - latest research on contact for children in care

six key messages about contact for children in care or adopted

The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory sets out six key messages about contact for children in care or adopted which come from the latest research. Click here to read the full report. September 2020 Read more

Community Care Article - Black and ethnic minority social workers disproportionately subject to fitness to practise investigations

Black and ethnic minority social workers disproportionately subject to fitness to practise investigations Social Work England promises action as figures show disproportionately low number of ethnic minority panel members making decisions about... Read more

MoJ report on Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases

The Ministry of Justice has today published the Final Report on “Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases”, by the panel of experts undertaking the work. In May 2019 the Ministry of Justice convened a panel of... Read more

Charlie Taylor's review of pain-inducing restraint

The Ministry of Justice published on 18 June a review of the use of pain-inducing restraint authorised for use on children as young as 10 during their journeys to and from custodial institutions, and within child prisons. The review, led by the... Read more