Born into Care: Towards Best Practice Guidelines when the State intervenes at birth

This research project is a partnership between Lancaster University and the Rees Centre for the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory.

The team was commissioned to devise and test an evidence informed guideline designed to inform practice when the State intervenes to protect infants at birth, through care proceedings. There are increasing national and international concerns about the volume of new-borns in care proceedings and safe, effective and ethical practice.

The project takes a participatory approach and brings together parents and wider family members as well as policy and practice stakeholders, to ensure the development of the new FJO guidelines follows an inclusive process. The new guidelines need to be closely attuned to the realities of everyday practice as well as child and family needs and experience. The project is being carried out as the first public law Special Interest Project for the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory.

Read more about the project and its findings on the University of Oxford’s website.

Research Team

Lancaster University

Professor Karen Broadhurst, Centre for Child and Family Justice, Lancaster University (Principal Investigator)

Claire Mason, Centre for Child and Family Justice, Lancaster University (co-Investigator)

Oxford University

Professor Harriet Ward, Rees Centre, University of Oxford (Co-Investigator)

Professor Leon Feinstein, Rees Centre, University of Oxford

Further details on this project (University of Lancaster website)

Former team members: Lisa Holmes, Ellie Ott