Upcoming events
Family Justice Council: Experts Committee
Schwartz Round
“When Your Best Doesn’t Feel Good Enough — Working in
the Family Court”
— 29 January 2026, via MS Teams
The Family Justice Council Experts working group is hosting a virtual Schwartz Round on 29 January 2026, from 5pm to 6pm. This event will be beneficial to professionals who work within the family justice system and will take place remotely on MS Teams.
It will be chaired by Mr Justice David Williams in his capacity as Chair of the Family Justice Council Experts Committee.
The Schwartz round will be facilitated by Dr Nicola Cosgrave, Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, and Dr Laura Golding, Schwartz Rounds Mentor/Associate, The Point of Care Foundation. A panel of 2-3 storytellers will share their story on the theme above. The Schwartz Round will be a confidential space in which individuals’ identities are protected. We ask that you do not take notes of the stories shared, and recording is not permitted.
To register to attend the event please complete the following form: Registration Form. Please note that there are limited spaces.
Registration will close on Wednesday 21 January 2026. Those who have secured a place will be informed by Monday 26 January and provided with the Teams Link.
What is a Schwartz Round?
Schwartz Rounds are predominantly used in a medical setting. They provide a structured forum where staff (clinical and non-clinical) come together regularly to discuss the emotional and social aspects of working in healthcare.Rounds have been shown to help staff feel more supported in their jobs, allowing them the time and space to reflect on their roles. To find out more about Schwartz rounds please visit the Point of Care Foundation website.
How will a Schwartz Round apply to Family Justice?
The work of the family courts has a lot in common with healthcare settings. It involves deeply difficult, often traumatic situations, where the people and families involved face some of the most challenging experiences of their lives. In which the professionals aim to deliver a high-quality response but are also experiencing the day-to-day difficulties of working within a context of high stress and emotion, as well as functioning within a heavily stretched system.
The family justice system includes a range of professionals (judges, court staff, social workers, solicitors, barristers, experts) all of whom experience the system slightly differently given their individual roles. The purpose of the Round in a family justice context is to explore the challenges and rewards that are intrinsic to working in the system, not to solve problems or to focus on specific aspects of a case.