The Family Justice Data Partnership (FJDP)
Project Dates
January 2019 - April 2024
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
2024
Doebler S, Bailey G, Broadhurst K, Roberts L, Wood S, Cowley L, North L and Griffiths L (2024) Care experienced mothers and their children in care in Wales. Lancaster: Centre for Child and Family Justice Research, Lancaster University. (link)
North, L. et al (2024) Understanding care pathways and placement stability for adolescents in Wales, Swansea/Lancaster: Family Justice Data Partnership. (report)
Farr, I. et al (2024) Health service use of infants involved in family justice care and supervision proceedings in Wales: a data linkage study. International Journal of Population Data Science. (journal article)
Hargreaves, C. et al (2024) Uncovering private family law: How often do we hear the voice of the child? Nuffield FJO (report)
2023
Cowley L, North L, Broadhurst K, Doebler S, Alrouh B, Cusworth L, Abouelenin M and Griffiths L (2023) Understanding care pathways and placement stability for babies in Wales (Summary). London: Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. (link)
Cowley L, North L, Broadhurst K, Doebler S, Alrouh B, Cusworth L, Abouelenin M and Griffiths L (2023) Born into care: Understanding care pathways and placement stability for infants in Wales. Swansea/Lancaster: Family Justice Data Partnership. (link)
Doebler, S., Broadhurst, K., Alrouh, B., and Cusworth, L. (2023) Area-deprivation, social care spending and the rates of children in care proceedings in local authorities in England. Children & Society. (journal article)
Edney, C. Alrouh, B. and Abouelenin, L. (2023) Ethnicity of children in care and supervision proceedings in England. Briefing paper. London: Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. (link)
Cusworth, L. et al (2023) Uncovering private family law: Exploring applications that involve non-parents (‘the other 10%’). London: Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. (link)
Johnson, R., Griffiths L, Cowley, L., Broadhurst, K. and Bailey, R. (2023) Risk Factors Associated With Primary Care–Reported Domestic Violence for Women Involved in Family Law Care Proceedings: Data Linkage Observational Study. J Med Internet Res. (journal article)
2022
Allnatt G, Lee A, Scourfield J, Elliott M, Broadhurst K, Griffiths L. (2022) Data resource profile: children looked after administrative records in Wales. International Journal of Population Data Science, 7(1). (journal article)
Lee A, Elliott M, Scourfield J, Bedston S, Broadhurst K, Ford DV, Griffiths LJ (2022) Data resource: Children receiving care and support and children in need, administrative records in Wales. International Journal of Population Data Science, 7 (1). (journal article)
Roe, A., Cusworth, L. and Alrouh, B. (2022) Children subject to secure accommodation orders: A data review. Nuffield FJO. (report)
Griffiths, L. et al (2022) Anxiety and depression among children and young people involved in family justice court proceedings: longitudinal national data linkage study. BJPsych open. (journal article)
Alrouh, B. et al (2022) Mothers in recurrent care proceedings: New evidence for England and Wales. Nuffield FJO. (report)
Alrouh, B. et al (2022) What do we know about ethnic diversity in the family justice system in England? Nuffield FJO. (report)
Doebler, S. et al (2022) Born into care: associations between area-level deprivation and the rates of children entering care proceedings in Wales, Children and Youth Services Review. (journal article)
Griffiths, L. et al (2022) Uncovering private family law: anxiety and depression among children and young people. Nuffield FJO. (report)
Hargreaves, C. et al (2022) Uncovering private family law: what can the data tell us about children's participation? Nuffield FJO. (report)
Johnson, R. et al (2022) A population level study into health vulnerabilities of mothers and fathers involved in public law care proceedings in Wales, UK between 2011 and 2019. International Journal of Population Data Science. (journal article)
North, L. et al (2022) What do we know about ethnic diversity in the family justice system in Wales? Nuffield FJO. (report)
2021
Cusworth, L. et al (2021) Uncovering private family law: Who's coming to court in England? Nuffield FJO. (report in English and summary in English)
Griffiths, L. et al (2021) Born into Care: One thousand mothers in care proceedings in Wales: A focus on maternal mental health. Nuffield FJO. (briefing report)
Pattinson, B. et al (2021) Newborn babies in urgent care proceedings in England and Wales. Nuffield FJO. (full report and summary)
Broadhurst, K. 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. (journal article)
Cusworth, L. et al (2021) Uncovering private family law : Adult characteristics and vulnerabilities. Nuffield FJO. (Report is available in English and in Welsh. Summary is also available in English and Welsh)
Doebler, S. et al (2021) Explaining high rates of infants in care proceedings in deprived areas of Wales. Nuffield FJO. (Briefing report available in English and Welsh)
Doebler, S. et al (2021) Born into care: unpacking the impact of area-level deprivation in Wales. Centre for Child and Family Justice Research, Lancaster University. (link)
Griffiths, L. et al (2021) The health of older children and young people subject to care proceedings in Wales. Nuffield FJO. (link)
Johnson, R. et al (2021) Health vulnerabilities of parents in care proceedings in Wales. Nuffield FJO. (report in English and Welsh and summary in English and Welsh)
Roe, A., Alrouh, B. and Cusworth, L. (2021) Older children and young people in care proceedings in England and Wales. Nuffield FJO. (report and summary)
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).
2020
Alrouh, B., Broadhurst, K. and Cusworth, L. (2020) Women in recurrent care proceedings in Wales: a first benchmarking report. Nuffield FJO. (report)
Johnson, R. 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, L. et al (2020) Born into care: One thousand mothers in care proceedings in Wales - maternal health, wellbeing and pregnancy outcomes. Nuffield FJO. (report in English and Welsh and summary in English and Welsh)
Cusworth, L. et al (2020) Uncovering private family law: Who's coming to court in Wales? Nuffield FJO. (report in English and Welsh and summary in English and Welsh)
Griffiths, L. et al (2020) Maternal health, pregnancy and birth outcomes for women involved in care proceedings in Wales: a linked data study (journal article)
Jones, K. 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)
2019
Bedston, S. 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, B. et al (2019) Born into care: newborns and infants in care proceedings in Wales. Nuffield FJO. (report in English and Welsh, summary in English and Welsh, and an infographic of the main findings)
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 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
