The Family Justice Data Partnership (FJDP)
Project Dates
January 2019 - June 2023
Funder
Nuffield Foundation
Project Summary
There is insufficient intelligence about how the family justice system in Wales and England is working, the children and families using these services, and their wider outcomes beyond their involvement with the family court. The Family Justice Data Partnership (funded by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory/Nuffield Foundation) has therefore been established, comprising analytical teams in the Centre for Child and Family Justice Research, Lancaster University and Population Data Science, Swansea, and a bespoke data platform – hosted within the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank.
The Data Partnership aims to:
a) increase capacity and capability of researchers and data scientists utilising family justice and other relevant administrative datasets;
b) improve understanding about the family justice system using data from the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) in England and Wales;
c) demonstrate the value of data linkage; and
d) assist future policy and practice development.
Administrative data is collected by Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru as part of routine service delivery and planning operations, and comprises information related to private and public law family court proceedings. Details of the variables included in the datasets can be found here and here. Researchers wishing to use Cafcass and/or Cafcass Cymru data held within the SAIL Databank can be supported by the Family Justice Data Partnership team. Please see the 'User Journey' document and contact us for more information.
Publications
2019
Bedston et al. (2019) Data Resource: Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) public family law administrative records in England - International Journal of Population Data Science (journal article)
Alrouh et al (2019) Born into care: newborns and infants in care proceedings in Wales (report in English and Welsh, summary in English and Welsh, and an infographic of the main findings)
2020
Alrouh, Broadhurst and Cusworth (2020) Women in recurrent care proceedings in Wales: a first benchmarking report (report)
Johnson et al. (2020) Data Resource: population level family justice administrative data with opportunities for data linkage - International Journal of Population Data Science (journal article)
Griffiths et al (2020) Born into care: One thousand mothers in care proceedings in Wales - maternal health, wellbeing and pregnancy outcomes (report in English and Welsh and summary in English and Welsh)
Cusworth et al (2020) Uncovering private family law: Who's coming to court in Wales? (report in English and Welsh and summary in English and Welsh)
Griffiths et al (2020) Maternal health, pregnancy and birth outcomes for women involved in care proceedings in Wales: a linked data study (journal article)
Jones et al (2020) Linking pre- and post-adoption records for research in anonymised form in a data safe haven: legal implications and support for a social licence - International Journal of Population Data Science. (journal article)
2021
Cusworth et al (2021) Uncovering private family law: Who's coming to court in England? (report in English and summary in English)
Johnson et al (2021) What is the household composition of families in the family justice system? Linking data to fill the evidence gaps. (Blog and Guidance note)
Griffiths et al (2021) Born into Care: One thousand mothers in care proceedings in Wales: A focus on maternal mental health. (briefing report)
Pattinson et al (2021) Newborn babies in urgent care proceedings in England and Wales. (full report and summary)
Broadhurst et al (2021) Scaling up research on family justice using large-scale administrative data: an invitation to the socio-legal community. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 43(3). (journal article)
Cusworth et al (2021) Uncovering private family law : Adult characteristics and vulnerabilities. London: Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. (Report is available in English and in Welsh. Summary is also available in English and Welsh)
Doebler et al (2021) Explaining high rates of infants in care proceedings in deprived areas of Wales. London: Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. (Briefing report available in English and Welsh)
Doebler et al (2021) Born into care : unpacking the impact of area-level deprivation in Wales. Lancaster: Centre for Child and Family Justice Research, Lancaster University. (Report available here)
Griffiths et al (2021) The health of older children and young people subject to care proceedings in Wales. London: Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. (briefing report in English and Welsh)
Johnson et al (2021) Health vulnerabilities of parents in care proceedings in Wales. London: Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. (report in English and Welsh and summary in English and Welsh)
Roe, Alrouh and Cusworth (2021) Older children and young people in care proceedings in England and Wales. London: Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. (report and summary)
2022
Roe, Cusworth and Alrouh (2022) Children subject to secure accommodation orders: A data review. London: Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. (report)
Griffiths et al (2022) Anxiety and depression among children and young people involved in family justice court proceedings: longitudinal national data linkage study. BJPsych open, 8(2). (journal article)
The Research Team
Lancaster University
Professor Karen Broadhurst, Co-Director
Dr Linda Cusworth, Research Fellow/Co-Investigator
Shelley Watson, Project Officer
Dr Bachar Alrouh, Research Fellow
Dr Claire Hargreaves, Senior Research Associate
Dr Mariam Abouelenin, Research Associate
Dr Stefanie Doebler, Lecturer
Professor Brian Francis, Statistical Advisor
Swansea University
Professor David Ford, Co-Director
Dr Lucy Griffiths, Senior Lecturer
Dr Laura North, Research Officer
Dr Laura Cowley, Research Officer
Ashley Akbari, Senior Research Manager & Data Scientist (Population Data Science)
Jonathan Smart, Head of Programmes and Chief Operating Officer for Population Data Science
Simon Thompson, Chief Technical Officer (SAIL Databank)
Professor Kerina Jones, Professor of Population Data Science
External collaborators
Cafcass England
Cafcass Cymru
Welsh Government
Contact us
For further information please contact:
Karen Broadhurst, Co-Director: k.broadhurst@lancaster.ac.uk
Linda Cusworth, Senior Researcher/Co-investigator: l.cusworth@lancaster.ac.uk
