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Daniel Coombes and Jo Harrison discuss how to protect children's mental health when their parents are in family court proceedings, or any process where a third party needs to make a decision for them, such as arbitration. Whether proceedings are about the children themselves, or the parents' finances, Daniel and Jo agree that both the parents and the lawyers should do as much as possible to insulate children from the process and stress associated with it. They talk about direct ways to look out for children, as well as practical strategies to help parents protect themselves and support everyone's wellbeing. This in-depth conversation covers, but is not limited to: · When and how to speak to children about family proceedings · The value of giving children a voice and how to do this in an age-appropriate way · The difference between feeling heard and being stuck in the middle · The importance of communication and trust between parent and child · Spotting signs that a child is struggling with their mental health · Getting help from third parties such as family, school and experts · Children's involvement in proceedings, such as CAFCASS interviews · The benefit of boundaries and why parents should set them with their lawyers · The impact of stress on decision making · Dealing with disappointing outcomes · Managing handovers when you're in conflict Discussing separation, Daniel comments “It's one of those moments in one's life where decisions that you make, behaviours that you exhibit, have profound impacts and can really seriously and significantly affect the future of our children.” About the speakers: Daniel Coombes Daniel is an experienced family solicitor, mediator and collaborative practitioner. He recognises that decisions made at the time of separation will have long-lasting ramifications and helps parents to focus on what is important and what needs prioritising – in the short, medium and long term. He has a reputation for handling the most challenging children cases - including where there are mental health concerns, allegations of abuse and parental alienation - and achieving creative but workable solutions, both in and out of the court arena. Jo Harrison Jo is an experienced therapist working with individuals and couples who are separating. A former family lawyer, Jo has a depth of experience that benefits individuals and couples as she supports them through the separation and divorce process. Jo is the author of the book ‘Five Arguments All Couples (Need To) Have And Why The Washing Up Matters', and is regularly quoted in the press. She has made appearances on ITV's This Morning (the Relationship Clinic) and Marina Fogle's The Parent Hood.
Happily Ever After with Hannah Harvey 67 - Coparenting Through Divorce and How to Deal with a Crisis On this weeks episode, I'm giving some tips on coparenting through divorce. Please keep in mind, Katie and I are just sharing our personal thoughts and you should seek help from a professional if you are struggling. The episode where we talk about divorce at Christmas time is here. Cafcass is a brilliant organisation that advises the family courts about the welfare of children and what is in their best interests. You can get in touch with them here. You can create your own free parenting plan with them here. The app I mention, Talking Parents is available here. The episode on conflict resolution is here. You can find the episode transcript here.
Episode 097: Listen into my weekly discord lives where I discuss all things family law.Recorded: 12.09.232
Episode 075: Listen into my weekly discord lives where I discuss all things family law.Recorded: 02.05.2023
In this episode, hosts Matt & Liza talk to Sushma Kotecha from Holistic Family Mediation & Coaching to look at how mediation can help couples work together to have a more dignified and amicable separation. Sushma talks about what mediation is, how it works, the process, what a MIAM is, and how it helps separating couples work through their issues, explore their options and make informed decisions about their future. Sushma also explains how mediation is not suitable for all couples, the red flags she looks for, and what you can do if one person is resistant to trying it. Sushma also explains her holistic approach to mediation, working with client's mind, body, spirit and soul to help them change the narrative of their separation - leaving the past behind and focusing on building a positive future for them and their family. Please note, after recording this session, the Separated Parents Information Programme' (SPIPs) was replaced by the Planning Together for Children. This new programme is only offered to parents within the court system via CAFCASS, and is not available to purchase for separated parents on a private paying basis. Join our list to get the latest from our lawyers, divorce coaches and relationship experts sent monthly to your inbox. Everything you need, in one
Todays conversation is with Vincent McGovern, Vincent works part time as a shared parenting campaigner. He is also Chair of Central and North London Branches of Families Need Fathers, a Shared Parenting Charity. He has had 18 inquiries and five Ombudsman (including 3 Parliamentary & Health Services Ombudsman) investigations into malpracticing children's services all ending with findings in his favour including compensation. He addressed x2 the Euro Parliament Petitions Commission and forced the first inspection of UK family law by the EU comm. The video is at vincentmcgovern.com. Those services at fault were Brent Social Services, Brent C.A.M.H.S, Solicitors Regulatory Authority , Brent Primary Care Trust, and Cafcass, the UK Children and Family Co
Episode 053: Listen into my weekly discord lives where I discuss all things family law.
In this episode, Lisa Cherry is in conversation with Alex Kemp exploring professional kindness, culture and leadership. Alexander Kemp has been working with children and families for over 20 years. He holds a degree in social work and a masters of public administration. He lives in Brighton with his husband who is a doctor working in intensive care. Alex is care experienced. Alex has worked in senior roles within large organisations specialising in the provision of services to children and families who need help and protection and with children in care and care leavers. Alex worked at Cafcass, the largest employer of social workers in the UK, as an assistant director for a large geographical area of England. In this role, he worked in partnership with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in supporting the British Overseas Territories to develop and improve services for children and families. He trained and coached senior leaders abroad to support their development. Alex's last role was in the UK as one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of children's social care; he is the first known care experienced person to have held this position. He inspected local authorities and other organisations including fostering agencies and children's homes. Alex is one of only a handful of care experienced people in the UK who have progressed into such senior roles in large organisations responsible for providing help and support to children and families. He believes strongly that expertise by experience is undervalued. He has recently established an organisation which aims to support organisations and practitioners across the helping professions explore how and kindness and reflection influence the way in which professionals work. Alex also hopes to spend some time speaking, training and writing. Twitter - Alex - @AlexanderKempyLisa - @_lisacherry
Key Learning Points:1.How surrogacy works in the UK and the misconception surrounding the process2.The emotional challenges sometimes faced by men looking to take parental leave3.How workplaces can support working parents through the surrogacy process In this episode of the The Parenthood Diaries, we speak to Ash Daniells, an Associate Solicitor at RPC with insurance experience through his specialism in professional indemnity and financial services dispute resolution, and father to his 9-month-old son Billy.A big thanks to our series partners, Genasys and The Camelot Network, for enabling this to happen!We begin by talking to Ash about his surrogacy journey and how he and his husband started looking into becoming parents via adoption or surrogacy. He admits that he did not know much about the surrogacy process and thought it was ‘only for the rich and famous'. Fortunately, they had a friend who had been through the process to recommend information and resources.In the UK surrogacy isn't legally binding and is based on friendship. This meant that Ash and his husband had to get to know their surrogate, Kirsty, very well to ensure that they all saw eye to eye – a process they enjoyed and has led to them maintaining a solid friendship since. He explains that in the UK a surrogate is not allowed to make a profit, so the surrogates are typically doing it to be able to give the gift of a child to someone else. Ash tells us that there is still a lot of stigma and misinformation surrounding surrogacy in the UK; many people assume that the surrogates are being mistreated or ask questions such as whether they are worried that the surrogate will run off with the baby, as most people's perceptions of surrogacy still comes from sensationalised TV dramas.We then move on to talk about the birth and the experience of taking Billy home. In the UK, when a child is born via a surrogate then it is the surrogate's name, and the surrogate's husband if they have one, that is written on the birth certificate at first. The parents can then apply for parental responsibility between 6 weeks and 6 months after the child's birth. Ash explains the process of being assessed by a member of CAFCASS to ensure that the surrogacy was done fairly and recalls their day in court - a day he found enjoyable as it meant Billy was now legally their child.Finally, we discuss how Ash has been supported by his employer throughout. He recalls being nervous to tell his workplace that he was going to have a child as he felt that as a man, they wouldn't expect it in the way they would have for a woman. That was not the case, however, as his colleagues were very supportive and not surprised at all, saying that he was ‘the biggest family man they had ever met'.Because surrogacy is still relatively new in the UK and does not have its own plan for parental leave, Ash had to take something called ‘adoption leave'. There are some aspects of this plan that differ from normal parental leave such as not being able to take time off before the birth to get things ready. Fortunately, RPC were very supportive, working with his feedback and allowing him time off beforehand. He explains how his decision to take 12 months off work to be with Billy was daunting and his imposter syndrome returned as he worried he would lose the relationship that he had built with his clients. In reality, he has even been recently promoted whilst off work, a fact that he says shows how much RPC values their employees and supports those taking parental leave.When we ask what advice he would give to listeners to end the episode, Ash cites the importance of strong communication between parents about how they will share the caring responsibilities. He also emphasises the importance of good communication with your manager when returning to work so they can ease you back into things whilst giving you enough responsibility.
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Slam the Gavel welcomes back Davey Walker from the UK. Great discussion involving updates between him and his daughter and family life. We discussed mental health month and how difficult it was during Covid and the lockdown especially when not having daily contact with people. We talked about the importance of communication and future plans of visiting NYC with his daughter and how their relationship has become deeper. Enjoying each other's company with longer conversations than before, they are both looking forward to the future and their upcoming trip to the USA. To Reach Davey Walker: Twitter @D_Walker_SSupport the show(https://www.buymeacoffee.com/maryannpetri)http://beentheregotout.com/https://monicaszymonik.mykajabi.com/Masterclass USE CODE SLAM THE GAVEL PODCAST FOR 10% OFF THE COURSEhttp://www.dismantlingfamilycourtcorruption.com/Music by: mictechmusic@yahoo.comSupport the show
See previous episodes on our Best Way To #Divorce APP: https://expco.co/div/1 Or on our website at: www.divorcetvshow.com Register here to watch the next episode of The Divorce TV Show: https://suzymiller.synduit.com/FTWP0001 Want to share your co-parenting or divorce story? Contact me via https://startingovershow.com/lets-talk/ Please share this episode so more divorcing families can find a better way to divorce. Music Credits: Lino Rise: EvenshadeLino Rise: Wicked ViolenceLino Rise: Art By Telling Fesliyan Studios: Deep MeditationPurchase License Code:1163a4c2-0796-4d68-a283-11de69f45140
In this episode of 'What's The Law?' we will be looking at the affect the Covid-19 pandemic has had on separated parents and subsequent childcare arrangements, how best to avoid such matters going to court and how the family law world has adapted to these new challenges. The team from Jacksons are joined by Denise Todd; an accredited family mediator and former CAFCASS officer from Pathway Mediation.
In this episode, I've chosen articles from the BASW's PSW Magazine which caught my interest. I was particularly grateful for the information on the importance of self-care, this issue can be really difficult to achieve for us as Social Workers. We often feel guilty for putting ourselves first, and our professional code of ethics makes very little reference to this necessity as with many of the other vocations. We need to eat and rest well, breath deeply, take regular exercise and maintain good boundaries so as our mental well being remains intact. Please leave a review, reach out to me at adosylv@gmail.com British Association of Social Work https://www.basw.co.uk/what-we-do/basw-50-years Parental responsibilities? https://www.gov.uk/parental-rights-responsibilities What is Cafcass? https://www.cafcass.gov.uk/about-cafcass/
I spoke with Claire Verney, Claire worked in the family court team for a domestic violence charity for many years and one of her main jobs was to review CAFCASS referrals to the perpetrator programme. Abuse Talk Podcast currently offers a series of interviews with those that work in the domestic abuse sector. Getting an inside feel for what its really like in their job role and sharing it with all of you. Don't forget you can respond to this episode by leaving a voice message on Anchor, get in touch if you have any queries. My website: www.jennifergilmour.com Claire's Website- https://www.dvact.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/abusetalk/message
Welcome to our OneTeamGov Mother’s Day special episode! We chat to Halcyon Hamilton, former senior manager at Cafcass children’s services in England...and also Kamala’s mum!Our longest standing public servant to date, Halcyon has been on the frontline of social work and children’s services for 40 years. We hear about how she got started in the sector, and what it was like to operate in such challenging situations whilst balancing her own family life.Halcyon shares stories of her longstanding career in the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), and we get her reflections on what it means to be a good leader delivering critical frontline services. We chat about Halcyon’s extremely active retirement life - successfully becoming part of her local judiciary and attending tribunals as an expert adviser. We learn about the Soroptimists, a global volunteer movement working together to transform the lives of women and girls. And finally, we hear stories of Halcyon’s volunteering on the Colchester SOS bus, the local fourth emergency service.With all of these incredible achievements, it’s easy to see how Kamala was inspired to be a public servant!
Mark Sheppard speaks to Lee about CAFCASS and is a mental health support worker, alienated father and campaigner for equal family rights. CCA Radio will be bringing you debatable conversations, political discussions, advice, new artists, stories, real life situations and life changing moments as well as documentaries on subjects no other radio station is talking about, or are afraid to broadcast. #TotalReform
Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss what the latest research, practice models and policy guidance mean to your practice.In this episode, we discuss the complicated and sometimes controversial topic of parental alienation.The experts are Sarah Parsons, principal social worker and assistant director at Cafcass, the Child and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in England, and Julie Doughty, lecturer in law at Cardiff University. Julie, along with Nina Maxwell and Thomas Slater, conducted a review of research and case law on parental alienation for Cafcass Cymru in 2018.1:27 – 4:30 on the podcast: Sarah and Julie discuss what parental alienation is, different definitions in the research literature and how it differs from other terms like implacable hostility.12:53 – 18:31 on the podcast: Sarah considers the signs that parental alienation might be taking place, such as a child’s use of language or one parent constantly badmouthing the other.“The law in England and Wales is quite clear that it’s in children’s welfare to have continuing relationships with both parents. That is what the court will expect. So if contact with the non-resident parent is safe, that is what the court will expect to happen, and therefore the reasons for a child rejecting that would need to be looked into.” Julie Doughty22:23 – end of podcast: Sarah and Julie give the key messages social workers should take into their practice.References Baker, A (accessed 2018)amyjlbaker.comDoughty, J; Maxwell, M and Slater, T (2018)Review of research and case law on parental alienationCardiff: Welsh GovernmentRe J [2018] EWCA Civ 115, paras 83-84, Court of Appeal, Lord Justice McFarlane, Lady Justice KingRe L & Ors (Children) [2000] EWCA Civ 194, Court of Appeal, Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, Lord Justice Thorpe, Lord Justice WallerWomen’s Aid and Queen Mary (2018)‘What about my right not to be abused?’ Domestic abuse, human rights and the family courts
Special guardianship orders are a way of giving legal status to those - usually grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters - who come forward to care for children when their parents can't. SGOs were designed to let children grow up with family, instead of in care - once a relative is granted special guardianship, the council steps backs and the guardian can raise the child without social services interfering. The use of special guardianship orders has been rising-last year more than 3,000 of them were made. But special guardianship breaks down more often - and more quickly - than adoption. And in some cases children have been neglected, abused, or murdered. The family court service Cafcass and the Association of Directors of Children's Services have warned that weak assessments of the risks of family placements are a 'real risk' for children. The government has re-written the law on how special guardians are assessed. But with court deadlines and growing pressure on social workers and budgets, will it make children safer? Jane Deith investigates. Producer: Emma Forde.