How can the wellbeing of family members involved in child protection court proceedings be improved?

Families in child protection processes are a marginalised group; their wellbeing is impacted by social inequalities including poverty, social exclusion and poor health (Featherstone et al, 2014). Care proceedings may involve children being removed from their family permanently. Families seeking to challenge this must navigate child protection systems, court culture and environment, within complex high-stakes processes. I have 12 years' experience working in this system. There are significant inequalities within the child protection process and environment that further disadvantage families. Families in grave difficulties are confronted by an intimidating, unfamiliar environment and inaccessible professional language and process. Family members tell me they often do not understand what has been said or decided at court. This collision of societal inequality and alienating systems can have a devastating impact. The number of children who are 'in care' has reached record levels and continues to rise: "Poor life experiences, plus a traumatic time in court, can play their part in the cycle of parents coming back into proceedings with subsequent children" (Family Rights Group, 2018: 35.)
My research will contribute to knowledge about families' experiences of contemporary child protection proceedings, to identify improvements for inter-disciplinary professional practices and culture affecting this marginalised group. It will generate recommendations to improve the wellbeing of and the outcomes for families involved in child protection court proceedings nationally.
Research questions:
How do families experience the culture, processes and environment of child protection court proceedings, and how does this affect their wellbeing?
How do social inequalities impact on families' participation in and experiences of child protection court proceedings?
How can the culture and environment of child protection proceedings be improved, to safeguard and promote the wellbeing of the families involved?
Innovative approaches to practice have been piloted and shown to benefit families. The Family Drug and Alcohol Court was set up for substance-misusing parents, using a less formal court process. Outcomes improved (FDAC Evaluation, 2014), however it proved costly and cases took longer to be processed. Consequently, the model has not been rolled out nationally. Given a lack of funding for such innovations, I will explore potential improvements in 'mainstream' inter-disciplinary practice, processes and environment, to address inequalities and improve the wellbeing of families within these stressful proceedings. There is scope for improvement in the current system, and a need for research including the voices of those affected. A Ministry of Justice working group is focussing on improving the wellbeing of professionals in these processes with "A shift in culture to one of co-operation and respect that values and equally questions the contribution of all parties" (Public Law Working Group, 2019:36). This acknowledges that the culture is not experienced as respectful nor inclusive by professionals, however it lacks reference to the families who are also 'parties', and who ought to be at the heart of the process. Featherstone et al (2014: loc 2874) identify a need for: "robust research based on the lived experiences of those who struggle to survive in a society where they face major obstacles to achieving a life of dignity and worth." Families' experiences of child protection proceedings fall within this imperative and my study aims to address this.