National rollout of the ‘Child Focused Model’ in the Family Court of England and Wales

The private law ‘pathfinder’ model has been trialled successfully in courts across England and Wales for the last four years and many professionals welcome the national rollout of the model, which can make a real difference for families at the centre of the court process. 

The new model allows multi-agency professionals, such as the local authority, who may have had involvement in a child’s life to share information with the court prior to the first hearing. This information is contained within a new ‘Child Impact Report’ and features information from the local authority, police checks, and where relevant updates from the child’s school.

If necessary, CAFCASS (the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) will speak to the child or children to consider their wishes and feelings prior to any first hearing, which, under the traditional route, would happen much later in the process. A core component of pathfinder is the opportunity to involve the child from the very start of the process. The impact report can be updated throughout the court process, as the matter evolves. 

Traditionally, only CAFCASS was permitted to undertake initial safeguarding checks and prepare a safeguarding letter to the court, which contains interim recommendations before any final decisions are made. The model reduces the number of court hearings necessary through effective information gathering at an early stage. It also encourages collaboration between the court, families and public services to ensure the best outcome for the child at the heart of the case. The model also has a particular focus on non-court dispute resolution (NCDR) and encouraging parties to reach agreement for children outside of the court process.

The model encourages the court to have greater awareness about domestic abuse. Families can be referred at the start of proceedings to specialist domestic abuse agencies for a risk assessment and ongoing support.

“The Government is committed to rolling out the Child Focused Model nationally over the next three years, investing £17 million in 2026/27 to fund the next expansion in the North East, North West and East Midlands, which I announced in my statement of 25 February. 

This funding includes a permanent increase in social worker capacity for CAFCASS and CAFCASS Cymru, and for new domestic abuse specialists to work in the family courts. We will work to ensure all areas are preparing for implementation of the model as part of a phased approach to roll out which will see the model live across England and Wales by the end of this Spending Review period.

By putting victims at the heart of our approach, we are strengthening trust in the justice system and guaranteeing that the protection of children remains paramount.”