Her Honour Judge Carol Atkinson, Her Honour Judge Carole Burgher and Ben Collins director of system development for the South East London Integrated Care System have joined the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (Nuffield FJO) board.
As leaders, innovators and changemakers these new board members bring a wealth of experience to Nuffield FJO, which turns research, collaboration and new ideas into better experiences for children and families in the family justice system in England and Wales to complement the existing board members, chaired by Jenny Beck (KC) Hon.
We are thrilled to welcome three new board members, each of whom brings a wealth of experience of leading change. The FJO board plays a vital role in supporting and challenging the Nuffield FJO team to find ways to improve the lives of children and families in the family justice system.Lisa Harker, Director Nuffield FJO
Her Honour Judge Carol Atkinson
Senior Circuit Judge, Designated Family Judge for East London and Deputy High Court Judge.
After a career at the Bar spanning 22 years, Judge Atkinson was appointed to the Circuit Bench in 2007. Sitting in four different jurisdictions – crime, family, civil and court of protection – and as a Deputy High Court judge, since 2010, she has a wealth of experience as a Judge in many areas of law.
In 2013, Judge Atkinson was appointed as the Designated Family Judge (DFJ) for a newly created region – East London – putting her at the head of the judiciary in a busy and challenging but fascinating London family justice region. She was appointed a Senior Circuit Judge in 2020.
Judge Atkinson has a particular interest in research and social policy in the family justice arena. In recognition of this and the importance of research in the field of family justice she was appointed as lead Judge for research across family justice by the President of the Family Division to ‘advise on all issues relating to research relevant to Family Justice …’
She has forged strong links with a wide range of organisations involved in researching and debating issues in the field of law and social policy. She is a Visiting Senior Research Fellow, HSCWRU, King’s College London. In collaboration with the NSPCC and University of Glasgow, she assisted in the design and implementation of the first RCT within family proceedings testing a mental health intervention delivered to children under 5 in care proceedings. She offers her expertise on projects impacting on family justice by sitting on many advisory bodies and supports lawyers and academics to progress their research projects through the Judicial Office.
Her Honour Judge Carole Burgher
Circuit Judge and lead Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) Judge at the Birmingham and Solihull FDAC HMCTS.
Her Honour Judge Carole Burgher grew up in Birmingham. She attended a local comprehensive school and has a degree in English with Drama from King Alfred’s College, Winchester [now the University of Winchester]. She completed the CPE and Law Society Finals at Wolverhampton Polytechnic, winning an award for best student. In 2021 Judge Burgher was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Law from the University of Winchester and in 2022 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Literature from Newman University.
For over 23 years, Judge Burgher, who was a member of the Law Society Children’s Panel, represented children and families in public and private family law proceedings in Birmingham and the West Midlands. From 2008, Judge Burgher was a Deputy District Judge (Civil) and in 2014 she became a full-time District Judge and was one of the first two District Judges appointed to sit in the Family Drug and Alcohol Court in Milton Keynes. At the time the Milton Keynes FDAC was the third such court in the country.
Judge Burgher became a Family Circuit Judge in February 2018 and has been instrumental in creating the Birmingham and Solihull Family Drug and Alcohol Court. The FDAC opened in March 2021 with a two-year pilot and continues to produce impressive outcomes for children and their families. Judge Burgher is the lead FDAC judge and feels very privileged to work with the families who need the court, all those that made it possible and the team of experts who support it. She is now also the lead judge for Private Family Law in Birmingham and has led the introduction of the Pathfinder Pilot court that began in May this year.
Ben Collins is the director of system development for the South East London Integrated Care System, where he has supported the establishment of a new integrated care board and the development of new systems and structures to enable partnership working and innovation. He has also developed the System’s strategy, which focuses on prevention of illness, support for families in early years, mental health and transformation of the primary and community care system.
In his previous role, he was a director at the King’s Fund think tank in London, where he led research on high-performing international health systems, improvement and innovation, and new approaches to delivering health and care services. In his earlier career, he advised the UK Government and national NHS organisations on health systems reform, including approaches to commissioning and paying for services.
