Lunchtime webinar series – Children and family outcomes in the family and criminal justice systems: Insights from linked administrative data

Bachar joins the Rees Centre from Lancaster University’s Centre for Child and Family Justice Research, where he was the Data Science Lead and Co-Investigator on a number of national studies. His portfolio includes several landmark projects, such as Born into Care, Mothers in Recurrent Care Proceedings, and Evaluations of Family Drug and Alcohol Courts (FDAC), which have informed national policy and local authority practice.

With a background in computer science and information systems, Bachar specialises in the intersection of data science, law and social policy, with extensive expertise in evaluating, restructuring and analysing large-scale administrative datasets in secure environments.

He co-leads the Children’s Outcomes for Mothers Facing Trial (COMFT) study (£1 million, Economic and Social Research Council) with colleagues at Lancaster University, Swansea University and the University of Central Lancashire. Developed collaboratively with partners committed to improving justice outcomes for women and children, the project involves the Ministry of Justice, the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), Cafcass Cymru and the leading charity, Birth Companions. The study links family court, criminal justice and health data to examine intergenerational patterns of risk, support and outcomes for children and families.

At the Rees Centre, Bachar’s research focuses on understanding how family justice and children’s social care experiences shape children’s educational trajectories and wider life outcomes. His work aims to strengthen the use of data in research and policy, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and support methodological innovation that advances fairer and more effective systems for children and families.