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Minister Jim O'Callaghan launches survey of professionals providing Voice of the Child and Welfare Reports in family law proceedings
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The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan, has today (Friday, 26 June) announced the launch of a new survey to learn more about professionals providing Voice of the Child and Welfare reports in family law proceedings to assist with the development and establishment of a panel of assessors.
The survey is part of the Minister and the Government’s continued focus on ensuring the needs of the child are central in the family justice system. The survey will collect data on professional background, qualifications and training, to understand the competencies and skills required. The survey findings will be considered alongside insights from stakeholder engagement and follow-up focus groups, with stakeholders including organisations representing families and children, to build an evidence base to inform decision-making.
Minister O’Callaghan said:
“It is a key priority for me to ensure that the needs of children are at the centre of the family justice system, that their voices are heard and considered, and that they are supported in their own individual journey through the system.
“In June 2024, my department published an extensive review of the role of expert reports in the family law process. The review set out 20 ambitious recommendations for reform which will promote consistency and common standards in hearing the voice of the child and safeguarding their best interests.
“I am very pleased today to announce the launch of a survey aimed at professionals providing Voice of the Child and Welfare Reports in family law proceedings. This survey will provide essential data for the development and establishment of a Panel of Assessors that will increase access to, provide regulation of professionals preparing reports and standardise practises relating to how they are developed.
“I would encourage all professional assessors to complete this survey. It will help provide key information for my department to support the ongoing research and development of a panel of assessors and in shaping policy going forward.”
The survey, which is available at the following link: https://eu.smartsurvey.com/t/familylawassessors/ will be open from Friday, 26 June until Friday, 24 July. There will be ongoing engagement with relevant stakeholders throughout this process to ensure that future policy development is informed by the experience and expertise of those working in the sector.
ENDS...///
Notes for Editors
The Programme for Government commits to ensuring proper regulation and funding for Voice of the Child and Welfare Reports, giving children a voice in legal proceedings that affect them.
Goal 1 of the Family Justice Strategy 2022-2025 (Supporting Children) aims to ensure that the needs of children are at the centre of the family justice system. The list of actions includes a commitment to examine the role of expert reports in the family law process, including their commissioning and availability, their content and use, and to make recommendations regarding their future application and function.
In June 2024, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration published the Review of the Role of Expert Reports in the Family Law Process (“the Review”). The Review sets out 20 recommendations to improve the operation, quality, consistency, and oversight of expert reports in private family law proceedings. It will, amongst other things, promote consistency and common standards in hearing the voice of the child and safeguarding their best interests. Significant progress has been made in advancing these recommendations, including:
- The publication of the Judicial Guidelines on the Commissioning, Preparation, Content & Usage of Expert Reports in Family Law Proceedings, which aim to promote consistency and best practice in the use of welfare reports in private family law proceedings.
- The establishment of the Voice of the Child Working Group, which is progressing the development of the Voice of the Child Report Template and Guidelines to ensure consistency of approach by experts in supporting children to have their voices heard.
- The establishment of the Children’s Court Advocate Pilot Service in Clonmel and Waterford, which will apply to all applications for guardianship, custody, and access. The service will be free of charge and test a new way to hear the voice of children in private family law cases, as well as help regulate assessors and ensure consistency of practice.
Recommendation 6 of the Review provides for the establishment of a Panel of Assessors to increase access to, and regulation of, professionals preparing Welfare Reports and Voice of the Child reports.
The nationwide survey focuses on professionals currently preparing Voice of the Child reports s.32(1)(b) of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 or s.27 of the Domestic Violence Act 2018) and Welfare reports (s.32(1)(a) of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 or s.47 of the Family Law Act 1995) within the family law system.
The survey forms part of a broader approach to developing an understanding of the current landscape of report preparation, including practitioners’ professional backgrounds, qualifications, training, experience and the competencies and skills required for the role.
The survey findings will be considered alongside insights gathered from stakeholder engagement and follow-up focus groups.