Northumbria and North Durham Local Family Justice Board Seminar
Wednesday 25th February 2015
Royal Station Hotel
Seminar Table Exercise
Q1: What are the opportunities and barriers to diverting more parents from
court proceedings?
Barriers:
Opportunities:
Table
1



Table
2





Awareness of
Mediation and other
support
Cascading of
information
Information Available
on internet
Funding
Lack of trust in each
other prevents contact
arrangements being
agreed
If parents have not had
a significant
relationship (i.e. don’t
know each other well)
No safeguarding
checks prior to court
Information about



Better understanding and co-working
between mediators and solicitors
Better publication of mediation costs
Court staff improved knowledge of
mediation
Q2: How can we
improve the ‘Voice of
the Child’ in Private
Law Proceedings?




Does it need to
be improved?
Reduce delay
GAL in every
case
Consultation as
part of
CAFCASS preproceedings
(would mean
change in
guidance but
could measure
impact in terms
of resolution at
early stage)
Q3: How can the
Northumbria and North
Durham Family Justice
Board support an out
of court pathway?
 Better sharing of
information
between young
people’s services
 Advertisement in
GP Surgeries,
schools and
libraries
 Publicity
 Information
sharing for other
professionals who
work with families




Table
3






alternatives still not
widely available
Suggest
briefings/information
circulated to health
visitors and schools
Advertising on social
media
No incentive for
respondents to do
MIAM
Funding /cost of MIAM
and mediation where
neither party has public
funding
Ring S4SP helpline
DR SPIP – to involve
extended family
members i.e. new
partners and
grandparents
Mediation (MIAM and
free first mediation)
Sending
applicants/respondents
to SPIP and MIAM
even when in court
process
Promotion of DR
Services in area
Leaflets available in
schools, GP surgeries,
etc






Lack of understanding what mediation
is
Hurt and anger (‘day in court’)
Fear and loss
Loss of legal aid
Client 2 will not attend mediation
Training for magistrates re: SPIP and
MIAM




Opportunities for
children to say
how it is for them
(workshops/smal
l groups)
Special
services/projects
for children for
separated family
(can talk to other
children, ask
questions, gain
information)
Find out what
children want –
via FJYPB
Routinely involve
children in
assessments as
well as parents




Who would
administer this?
When parents
come to court and
have not attended
MIAM – contact
direction to SPIP
and MIAM (when
no S/G identified)
Media campaign
to raise
awareness of DR
Services – in
schools, GPs,
libraries, WI,
CAB, Sure Start,
etc.
Services that
work well with all
family members



Table
4


Table
5


Legal funding for
parents to obtain legal
advice to enable them
to make informed
decisions and avoid the
need to seek court
intervention. This is
likely to be far cheaper
than courts dealing
with litigants in person
or funding various
agencies to provide
information and not
advice.
LAPO to be amended
to allow Judges to have
discretion to grant
funding for non
represented clients –
this will save time and
money overall
Awareness of out of
court disposals
Helpline/Advertising




Mediation
CAB/Health Professionals
Resource/Marketing/Communication


Peer support
projects in
school
Children having
a voice in
mediation
Services that
work well with all
family members
Cafcass should
speak to the
children as part
of safeguarding.
Request 16.4
solicitors where
appropriate
VOTC Direct –vindirect contact
Cafcass – ABE
Interviewing
techniques

Make it free

Northumbria AND
North Durham
Support to
reduce repeat
clients


(cognitive)
Guardiam –
Family Court
Reporter



Table
6




Access to information
Ignorance of
information
Financial
Animosity between
partners



Promulgation/Advertising
Sign Posting
Rep of Young People’s Board on LFJB
Northumbria and North Durham Local Family Justice Board



Safeguarding
ltter to include
wishes feelings
paragraph from
children
Letter from child
Letter from court
to child



by data gathering
and
analysis/cleansin
g
Customer first
approach
Child being
paramount
Early intervention
Government
website shows
how to apply for
an order but no
information on
ADR – better
advertising
Information sheet
of ADR to
accompany C100
‘Before you
issue……’ and
the benefits
Wednesday 25th February 2015
Newcastle Combined Court Centre
Review of Draft Action Plan
Notes for consideration
 Delay in case listing, IRH to FH, need fact find analyse and monitor
 Involvement of Local Authority in Private Law cases to be reviewed
 Consideration of Local Authority questionnaire to ascertain local authority involvement
 Review and analyse S.7 cases to ensure protocol is used properly and see purpose of LA involvement – use for thematic learning and
address issues
 LA to produce examples of invitations/directions to Private Law cases
 Review timeliness in Private and Public Law cases
 Repeat mapping exercise at Gateshead Law Courts (include Adele O’Brien)
 Review cases where breakdown in care plan – use for thematic learning and address issues
 Involve member from Young Peoples’ Board (Contact made - HHJ Hudson)
 Inject interest in board meetings, presentations, videos, etc
 Consider Local Authority Board membership
 Include separate Action Plan entry for Mediation Services
 Review and analyse MIAMs, when and when not comparisons
 Consider seminar a yearly event in November (JH/HG)
 Laura Ronn to take forward action from ‘out of court pathway’
 Kelsey Clayton to arrange Local Authority meeting to discuss future attendance/
 Consider Public and Private Law Sub Groups
 All future meetings to commence 4.00 pm