News & Resources – Children’s Guardian / Family Court Adviser

Nagalro Response to the 'Case for Change' by the Independent Review of Children's Social Care

Please click here to read the Nagalro Response to the 'Case for Change' by the Independent Review of Children's Social Care. submitted on 12 August 2021 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

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

Cafcass Domestic Abuse Learning and Improvement Plan - June 2021

Please click here to download the Cafcass Domestic Abuse Learning and Improvement Plan June 2021 Also Cafcass Domestic Abuse Practice Pathway Cafcass Domestic Abuse Practice Guidance 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 response to the Cafcass protocol for the prioritisation of casework.

Nagalro response to the Cafcass protocol for the prioritisation of casework. Nagalro is in the process of investigating the decision by Cafcass to only allocate the highest priority work in South Yorkshire and Humberside.  Nagalro is very... 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

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

From Active Participants to Passive Auditors: Nagalro's concerns about the diminishing role of the Children's Guardian

Introduction Applications to remove or replace the children’s guardian are rare enough.  A successful application, rarer still.  The decision of Mrs Justice Theis, in LR v A Local Authority & Others [2019] EWFC 49 (Fam), in which the court... 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

Response to President's Guidance on reporting in Family Courts

Response by Nagalro to the Presiden'ts draft Guidance to reporting in the Family Courts 2 July 2019 Download consultation here Read more

Social Workers and Children's Guardians in the family justice system

A research based future

A talk by Sir James Munby at the 30th anniversary celebration of Nagalro at Gray’s Inn on 21 May 2019 Download presentation here Read more

Nagalro Guide to the Cafcass Professional Time Guidance 2019

How to Interpret and Lawfully apply Cafcass' 'Draft Guidance on the use of Professional Time

Download document 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

Who Guards the Guardians?

Article by Nagalro and ALC published in Family Law

Download full article here Read more

Oxford Evaluation. The contribution of experts in care proceedings

EVALUATION OF INDEPENDENT SOCIAL WORK REPORTS IN CARE PROCEEDINGS Dr Julia Brophy Charlie Owen, Judith Sidaway, Dr Jagbir Jhutti Johal Department of Social Policy and Intervention University of Oxford Download report here 19 April 2012 Read more

Family Justice Review (FJR) endorses Guardian's role but ducks serious failures in current services

Download press release here Read more

President’s landmark judgement re-asserts independence of Children’s Guardians as vital element in protecting children against poor social work practice.

President’s landmark judgement re-asserts independence of Children’s Guardians as vital element in protecting children against poor social work practice. Download press release 4 July 2011 Read more

Justice Committee Report: Cafcass is not child-focused and requires major change

Download press release here 14 July 2011 Read more