Mary Ryan

Independent consultant (children and families, law, social policy, research). Associate, Nuffield Family Justice Observatory

[Katie Razzall @katierazz]

When I was UK editor @BBCNewsnight with @sallyches Innes Bowen & Luke Winsbury, I did a series of films about children in care abandoned in unregulated accommodation. One story was in Birmingham where today’s conference happened https://t.co/fVx2IWXHWW

[Katie Razzall @katierazz]

Did you know in England & Wales last year nearly 1300 children were subject to Deprivation of Liberty orders? Today I was honoured to host Nuffield Family Justice Observatory’s Back To Their Futures Summit - and speak to my fantastic BBC colleague @AshleyJBaptiste @NuffieldFJO

[Nuffield Family Justice Observatory @NuffieldFJO]

Spaces are filling up for our summit but there's still some time to register.

If you're already attending, please feel free to share your thoughts, questions, and ideas with us ahead of the 1st April.

Find out more and register: https://t.co/Lffmm9QwiI

[Nuffield Family Justice Observatory @NuffieldFJO]

NEW SEEDING CHANGE STORY

Read the latest installment in our Seeding Change series, which gathers examples of positive experiences and innovative practice from across the family justice system.

https://t.co/gexUuBO97N

[Martin Barrow @MartinBarrow]

The plunder of children’s social care by private equity continues, despite the Government’s promise to end profiteering. Latest ‘snouts in the trough’ concerns Horizon Care & Education, owned by the private equity firm Graphite Capital 🧵

[Nuffield Family Justice Observatory @NuffieldFJO]

The new installment of our Seeding Change series will be coming next week.

Keep an eye on our social media for further updates.

You can read previous stories on our website here: https://t.co/MSDKLUbZfv

[Research in Practice @researchIP]

📢 We’re excited to reveal that @researchIP with @ncbtweets is the new home of the Working Together with Parents Network, offering support for professionals working with parents with learning disabilities & learning difficulties & their children: https://t.co/gRrzPk8AHk

[Nuffield Family Justice Observatory @NuffieldFJO]

"The evidence shows that there is a need for renewed efforts by everyone involved to address how mothers and babies are cared for."

For @cypnow NFJO Director Lisa Harker explains some of the findings that were the catalyst for a five-year Nuffield Family Justice Observatory project, to be published soon:

https://t.co/SYj25D3Zf5

[Nuffield Family Justice Observatory @NuffieldFJO]

Yesterday, the President of the Family Division published a toolkit to help judges decide if and how to write to the child or children involved in proceedings.

Here, a young person explains what having a letter from a judge would have meant to them:

[Save the Children UK @savechildrenuk]

A statement from our CEO @MoazzamTMalik on the news that the government is cutting the UK aid budget to fund an increase in defence spending:

“We are stunned by this decision to cut the aid budget in order to increase military spending. It is a betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable children and the UK’s national interest.

By jeopardising the UK’s partnership with countries across the world and international organisations, it signals a withdrawal from efforts to tackle climate change, global poverty and inequality, and conflict and humanitarian needs. It will damage efforts to tackle global health needs and pandemics. It will add to economic instability internationally. The impacts will have direct consequences for children and families in the UK as well as around the world.

This decision comes at a time when global solidarity has never been more important. Other countries will watch the UK’s decision and are likely to follow suit in reducing commitments to international collaboration. It will undermine aspirations to build a ‘rules based order’ that is so essential for the UK’s long-term security and prosperity. It will make the world a more dangerous place for children now and in the future.

This decision flies in the face of the government’s commitment to respectful partnerships with the global south. There is nothing respectful about slashing lifelines for families in the most dangerous places. Earlier this week, the Prime Minister promised to ‘stand with Ukraine’. Now he’s serving notice on the support needed by the country’s children, who have been forced from their homes, seen their schools bombed and lived in fear for three years.

Through UK aid, we all help protect children facing the worst the world has to offer. We have every reason to be proud of it and the government should fearlessly protect it.”

[Nuffield Family Justice Observatory @NuffieldFJO]

In this short video, NFJO Associate Director for Strategy and Delivery, Jude Eyre, discusses the toolkit published today by the President of the Family Division to support judges in writing to children involved in court proceedings.

Jude explains why the toolkit is an important and valuable contribution to greater child participation in the courts:

[Nuffield Family Justice Observatory @NuffieldFJO]

Are you looking to transform care for children with complex needs, including those who are being deprived of their liberty?

Do you work in one of these sectors?

🔵 Social care 🔵 Health, including CAMHS 🔵 Education 🔵 Judiciary 🔵 Legal · 🔵 Youth justice 🔵 Central government 🔵 Local government 🔵 Police 🔵 Civil society 🔵 Third sector
🔵 Independent sector

If so, the Back to Their Futures Summit: Transforming care for children subject to Deprivation of Liberty (DoL) orders is for you. We invite you to pre register here: https://t.co/3HKkH6mhWi

[Nuffield Family Justice Observatory @NuffieldFJO]

Are you looking to transform care for children with complex needs, including those who are being deprived of their liberty?

If so, the Back to Their Futures Summit: Transforming care for children subject to Deprivation of Liberty orders is for you. We invite you to pre register here: https://t.co/JAgNc9ViHy

[Nuffield Family Justice Observatory @NuffieldFJO]

2/2

Find out more about what is different about the Pathfinder approach by watching this installment of our “In conversation with” series featuring Her Honour Judge Gaynor Lloyd and His Honour Judge Chris Simmonds. 

https://t.co/dgLhpISYa8

[Cathy Ashley 🟣🇺🇦 @CathyAshley]

The @NuffieldFJO is right. It is ­“inhumane” practice to expect ­mothers to be in court in care proceedings about their baby within days of giving birth.
Young mothers who were themselves in care are particularly vulnerable to their new born baby being removed.

[Nuffield Family Justice Observatory @NuffieldFJO]

“Mums, midwives, solicitors, barristers and judges are all telling us the way we do this is ­inhumane. It is no way to provide ­justice. Everyone agrees, but it still keeps happening.”
- Lisa Harker, Director, NFJO

Read more from @guardian

https://t.co/Ngo4CPV2vx

[Research in Practice @researchIP]

The Pre-birth Change Project brought together academics, practitioners and leaders in children's social care to discuss practices, procedures and protocols in relation to pre-birth work.

Explore new tools and resources, developed with @ChildFamJustice. https://t.co/xS4112wpDQ

[Family Rights Group @FamilyRightsGp]

🗓️Exclusive online briefing for councillors including lead members for children's services in England. Join us next Thursday to explore the Children’s Wellbeing & Schools Bill and how your local authority can deliver the new mandate to offer family group decision making meetings.

[Nuffield Family Justice Observatory @NuffieldFJO]

Parents with learning disabilities or difficulties are over-represented in child protection processes and care proceedings and in experiencing the permanent removal of their children (Booth et al. 2005).

Several recent research studies have provided a timely reminder of the challenges these parents face.

Our recent spotlight report brings this research together: https://t.co/aTxUcyLjQ6

[Nuffield Family Justice Observatory @NuffieldFJO]

This new spotlight paper brings together research to highlight what we know about parents with learning disabilities and difficulties, a group that are over-represented in care proceedings.

https://t.co/g7U7hsi3Gm