Trauma-Informed Care Working Group

Objective

To consider the experience of participants and practitioners within the Family Court through the lens of psychological trauma and to promote a trauma-informed approach within the Family Justice System. 

Members

Dr Sheena Webb (Co-Chair)
HHJ Reardon (Co-Chair)
Jenny Beck KC (Hons)
Zoe Cheng
Matt Clayton
Rebecca Cobbin
Vinice Cowell
Angela Frazer-Wicks
DJ Hussell
Shabana Jaffar
Natalia Schiffrin
Barry Tilzey

Terms of Reference

Develop an initial piece of Family Justice Guidance with a view to:

  • Increasing awareness of and setting out the rationale for a trauma-informed approach within the Family Court.
  • Introducing the principles of trauma-informed care and providing advice on how to start to put this into practice.
  • Identifying existing good practice for professionals.
  • Highlighting the broader long term and systemic changes that would be needed to embed a trauma-informed approach across the Family Justice System. 

The guidance will:

  • Be aimed at professionals within the Family Justice System.
  • Recognise the broad spectrum of impacts of adversity and trauma on families and professionals.
  • Involve people with lived experience in co-production of the guidance.
  • Recognise that effective implementation of trauma-informed approaches involves systemic and organisational changes over a longer period, which may be beyond the scope of this guidance.

Timeframe

The working group first met as scoping group in September 2024, and the terms of reference were approved by the Council in April 2025.  The group are working group to an 18-month timetable, allowing approximately 6 months for the development of draft guidance, followed by a period of consultation with key stakeholders and any revisions needed.