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Background
In the UK, private proceedings are those in which a separated parent asks the family court to decide on arrangements for their children, such as who the child lives with . Research shows that children are active agents who want to be kept informed and have their views taken seriously in decision-making processes. Despite this, children involved in private proceedings often feel they have little say in decisions about them, and parental perspectives tend to dominate.
The Pathfinder project, piloted in Wales from 2022, aimed to improve experiences and outcomes for families involved in private proceedings by providing a quicker and more effective resolution for families and improving responses to domestic abuse. To this end, the pilot gave court-based social workers greater access to and flexibility in working with children so that their views could be incorporated into decision-making processes earlier on.
This study, a collaboration between government and a research institute, aimed to understand the impact of Pathfinder on children’s participation and identify what, if anything, could be done to amplify children’s voices.
Methods
This qualitative study was the first to explore participation under Pathfinder. It used online semi-structured interviews with children and young people (n=11) aged between 8 and 17, and focus groups with social workers (n=10) to explore experiences of the pilot and generate in-depth accounts of practice. Data was analysed using inductive thematic analysis.
Results
This presentation focusses on findings from interviews with children. Three themes were generated: feeling listened to, being informed and feeling supported. Participants generally felt listened to and well supported by social workers, and all were informed of the outcome of proceedings . They understood the role of judges and the family court, but experienced feelings of confusion before, during and after meetings with social workers. They rarely described having been given choices about how to engage, with most reporting parents making decisions on their behalf. Meetings were characterised by feelings of confusion and hurriedness. No children took up the offer of participating in an alternative way (e.g. meeting with the family court judge).
Conclusions and implications
The study found that, notwithstanding the ambitious aims of Pathfinder, some of the basics of children’s participation were not evidenced in children’s accounts. Despite this, the model showed promise in its potential to promote children’s voices and incorporate their views into decision making early on.
Recommendations included ensuring choices filter down to children and reviewing and improving information sharing with children. Since the conclusion of the study, the government agency involved have publicised the findings widely and have developed new materials for communicating with children and young people. These have been directly influenced by findings from the study. Commissioned by the Welsh government as part of a research placement, this study is an interesting case study of impact-focussed collaboration between policymakers and academics. The presentation will reflect on key ingredients for successful collaborations of this type.