The coronavirus pandemic had a severe impact on the lives of families, with long term implications for vulnerable children and parents, and the services which support them.
Lockdowns and social distancing measures introduced from March 2020 in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak meant professionals across the family justice system had to make rapid decisions about the support that could be provided.
But as social distancing measures endured it was important that significant changes to practice, whether in the family courts or children’s services, were grounded in evidence about what delivers the best outcomes for the children and families they support.
There were lessons to learn about how practice could be improved within the boundaries of COVID-19 restrictions to ensure both empathy and fairness for all those involved, as well as examples of innovation to inspire system planning into the future.
