Managing the Tension between the Child's Agency and the Need for Protection in Family Court Enquiries

Abstract

This article reviews pertinent literature and presents findings from recent research to illustrate how CAFCASS (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) private law practitioners understand, experience and manage the tension between empowerment and protection in welfare report enquiries. The traditional approach in the United Kingdom has been for children to be protected, especially when their divorced or separated parents are in conflict, but the balance is changing, as calls for the active participation of children in decisions that affect them continue to grow louder.

Keywords:

• Family Court
• Children
• Welfare
• Rights

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Greg Mantle

Greg Mantle is a Reader in Social Work at Anglia Ruskin University