A new Child Focused Courts approach aims to reduce delays, strengthen support for domestic abuse victims and put children’s welfare at the heart of family court proceedings across Merseyside and Cheshire.
Children and families involved in family court proceedings across Merseyside and Cheshire are set to benefit from a new Child Focused Courts approach, designed to reduce delays, improve support for victims of domestic abuse and place children’s welfare at the centre of decision-making.
The Merseyside and Cheshire family court area has been selected as one of the latest areas to introduce the Government programme, following successful pilots in other parts of England and Wales.
Andrew Perrigo, partner at Morecrofts Solicitors, said: “Any step that helps to reduce delay and keep children’s welfare at the heart of family court proceedings is to be welcomed.
“Family proceedings can be extremely stressful for parents and children, particularly where there are concerns around domestic abuse or safeguarding. Having specialist support involved at an earlier stage should help ensure the court has a clearer picture of the risks families may be facing, while giving victims and children better access to the help they need.
“The focus must always be on achieving safe, practical and lasting arrangements for children. This approach has the potential to make a real difference to families across Merseyside and Cheshire.”
The scheme is intended to help families reach outcomes more quickly, while making sure risks, including domestic abuse and safeguarding concerns, are identified at an earlier stage. It also aims to ensure children’s voices and experiences are properly considered throughout the court process.
To support the local rollout, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside, Emily Spurrell, has secured more than £677,000 from the Ministry of Justice over the next two years to introduce specialist Independent Domestic Violence Advisers into the family court process across Merseyside and Cheshire.
Local Solutions has been appointed to deliver the new service. Its specialist advisers will work with courts, Cafcass, local authorities, police and safeguarding partners to improve information sharing, identify concerns sooner and connect families with appropriate support.
The service is expected to begin operating in November.
Child Focused Courts currently operate in 10 of the 43 family court areas in England and across Wales. According to Government information, the existing model has helped reduce backlogs and resolve cases up to seven and a half months faster, helping children avoid prolonged uncertainty and conflict.
The national rollout is backed by £17 million in Government funding for the next financial year, with Cheshire and Merseyside among the areas selected for the next phase.