External research supported by Cafcass
High quality research can help improve practice and policy within the family court system. If research projects are likely to benefit Cafcass and the children and families we work with, we support them through enabling access to our staff, case management data, and in some cases service users. We make sure that projects are conducted ethically, that there are appropriate safeguards in place to meet data protection requirements, and that no service users are identifiable within published research. Any Cafcass involvement in research projects can only happen if approved by the Cafcass Research Governance Committee.
Published research projects that we have supported include:
Research project (completed) |
Publication date |
| Achieving Accessible Justice: A study of the implications of vulnerability and the meaning of participation in courts and tribunals Prof. Penny Cooper and Dr Jessica Jacobson (Birkbeck University of London, ICPR) Approved interviews with Cafcass practitioners |
2020 |
| The contribution of supervision orders and special guardianship to children’s lives and family justice Professor Judith Harwin and Professor Karen Broadhurst (Lancaster University) Approved access to case management data and focus groups with Cafcass practitioners. |
2019 |
| Local authority social workers’ evidence in care proceedings – social work and legal evaluations of professional expertise Ann Potter (University of Bristol) Approved interview with a Cafcass practitioner and a focus group with Cafcass practitioners. |
2019 |
| Cross-border child safeguarding: Challenges, effective social work practice and outcomes for children Angela Wilson (CFAB) Approved interviews with Cafcass staff. |
2018 |
| Siblings, contact and the law: an overlooked relationship? Prof. Daniel Monk (Birkbeck University) Approved interviews with Cafcass practitioners and a workshop with the FJYPB |
2018 |
| Scoping data on infant pathways in care proceedings
Prof. Karen Broadhurst (Lancaster University) Approved use of anonymised case management data |
October 2018 |
| The experience of Muslim children who are removed from home
David Pitcher and Shabana Jaffar (Cafcass) Approved interviews with service users (children) |
September 2018 |
| Cross-border child safeguarding: Practical challenges, effective social work practice and outcomes for children
Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB) Approved participation of Cafcass practitioners in focus groups |
September 2018 |
| Outcomes for children before and after care proceedings reform
Professor Judith Masson (Bristol University) and Professor Jonathan Dickens (UEA) Approved access to case management data |
June 2018 |
| How intended parents handle their children’s heritage (surrogacy cases)
Lilian Odze (Cafcass) Approved interviews with service users (adults) |
March 2018 |
| Adoption: A BASW UK Social Work Enquiry
Prof. Brid Featherstone (Huddersfield) and Dr Anna Gupta (Royal Holloway) Approved a focus group with Cafcass practitioners |
January 2018 |
| Creating paths to family justice
Professor Anne Barlow et al. (Exeter University) Approved participation of Cafcass staff in workshops and discussions with the FJYPB |
October 2017 |
| Towards a Family Justice Observatory (a scoping study): Who cares for children? Population data for family justice research
Professors Karen Broadhurst (Lancaster University) and Ruth Gilbert (UCL) Approved access to case management data |
October 2017 |
| Vulnerable birth mothers and recurrent care proceedings
Professor Karen Broadhurst and Professor Judith Harwin (Lancaster University) Approved access to case management data |
October 2017 |
| Parents who lack litigation capacity in care proceedings
Professor Penelope Welbourne (Plymouth University) Approved interviews with Cafcass practitioners |
September 2017 |
| Exploring the provision of inter–parental relationship support
Fatima Husain and Ruth Hudson (NatCen) Approved interviews with Cafcass staff |
April 2017 |
| Transparency and the Publication of Family Court Judgements Professor Julie Doughty (Cardiff University – The Nuffield Foundation) Approved contact with child (under 18) service users and staff. |
2016 |
| Unlocking Children’s Rights: Strengthening the Capacity of Professionals in the EU to Fulfil the Rights of Vulnerable Children
Ruth Barnes (Coram Children’s Legal Centre) Approved focus group with FJYPB |
December 2016 |
| Follow-up study of outcomes of the Tri-borough Care Proceedings Pilot
Professor Jonathan Dickens, Dr Chris Beckett, Sue Bailey (University of East Anglia) Approved access to case management data |
November 2016 |
| After FDAC: outcomes 5 years later
Professor Karen Broadhurst and Professor Judith Harwin (Lancaster University) Approved access to case management data |
September 2016 |
| Conflicts of EU courts on child abduction
Professor Paul Beaumont (University of Aberdeen) Approved interviews with Cafcass practitioners |
August 2016 |
| Care planning and the role of the Independent Reviewing Officer
Professor Jonathan Dickens et al. (University of East Anglia) |
October 2015 |
| How do county courts share the care of children between parents?
Dr Maebh Harding (University of Warwick) and Dr Annika Newnham (University of Reading) |
May 2015 |
| Enforcing contact orders: problem-solving or punishment?
Professor Liz Trinder et al. (University of Exeter) Approved access to case management data |
December 2013 |
Ongoing research projects that we have supported or have agreed to support are:
Research project (ongoing) |
Project start date |
| An Exploration of Children’s Experiences and Involvement in Private Family Court Proceedings Lauren Doyle (Professional Doctorate – Cardiff University) Contact with Cafcass staff, child (under 18) service users & access to Cafcass data. |
2020 |
| The Discharge of Care Orders – A National Study Dr Jo Staines (University of Bristol) Contact with Cafcass staff & access to Cafcass data. |
2020 |
| The reasons why private law family cases return to court and what opportunities there might be to divert some of these Lewis Taylor (MoJ) Contact with Cafcass staff. |
2020 |
| Development of a flexible Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Support model – a process evaluation Nicole Westmarland (Durham University) Contact with adult Cafcass service users. |
2020 |
| Scoping Study for the Application of Natural Language Processing of Cafcass Case Data: Identifying ‘Child Needs’ Factors Joanna Li-How-Cheong, MoJ |
2020 |
| Use of skype technology in direct observations of Stage 2 trainee practice educators Diane Simpson (Teeside University) Contact with Cafcass staff. |
2019 |
| Using Parenting Plans to Reduce Conflict in the Family Courts Charles Kenyon (PhD – University of Lincoln) |
2019 |
| Identifying Core Quality Elements of Social Work Practice Learning and Development: Perspectives of Academics, Practioners and Service Users David Lane (Anglia Ruskin University) |
2019 |
| “Working” the International Child Protection Case: the Relationship Between Law and Practice for Local Authorities in England and Wales Maria Wright (PhD Student, Bristol University) |
2019 |
| Is there a relationship between Emotional Readiness scores and case chronologies? Abigail Millings (Sheffield University) |
2019 |
| Achieving Accessible Justice: A study of the implications of vulnerability and the meaning of participation in courts and tribunals
Prof. Penny Cooper and Dr Jessica Jacobson (Birkbeck University of London, ICPR) Approved interviews with Cafcass practitioners |
2018 |
| When private turns public: how do professionals in the Family Justice System perceive, interpret and apply section 37 Children Act 1989?
Kelly Reeve (UEA) Approved interviews with Cafcass practitioners |
2018 |
| Investigating the reasons for the rise in care order applications in the family courts
Dr Lauren Devine (University of West England) Approved access to case management data and interviews with Cafcass practitioners |
2018 |
| Understanding the health needs of mothers and children involved in family court cases
Prof. Ruth Gilbert (UCL) and Prof. Karen Broadhurst (Lancaster University) Approved access to case management data and anonymised linking of some of this data to health data (see SLaM-CRIS website for more details and information on how to opt out) |
2017 |
| Siblings, contact and child law proceedings
Prof. Daniel Monk (Birkbeck University) Approved interviews with Cafcass practitioners and a workshop with the FJYPB |
2017 |
| Birth fathers and recurrent care proceedings
Prof. Marion Brandon (UEA) and Prof. Karen Broadhurst (Lancaster University) Approved access to case management data |
2017 |
| Decisions for children in the family courts: exploring a role for heuristic-based tools within structured professional judgment
Beth Coulthard (University of Ulster) Approved access to case management data |
2017 |
| The children of stranded spouses
Jacqueline Harry (University of East London) and Penny Logan (Cafcass) Approved access to case management data and interviews with Cafcass practitioners |
2016 |
| Perceptions of post-separation contact and domestic abuse
Joanna Harwood (Warwick University) Approved interviews with Cafcass practitioners |
2016 |
| Supervision orders and their contribution to family justice, children’s services and child outcomes
Professor Judith Harwin and Professor Karen Broadhurst (Lancaster University) Approved access to case management data and focus groups with Cafcass practitioners |
2015 |
| Local authority social workers’ evidence in care proceedings – social work and legal evaluations of professional expertise
Ann Potter (University of Bristol) Approved interview with a Cafcass practitioner and a focus group with Cafcass practitioners. |
2015 |