Zoe Cheng
PhD student- Problem-solving and trauma-informed practice in the family justice system, particularly in relation to care proceedings.
- Entry into care and recurrence, particularly in the context of practice changes for babies.
Research overview My research examines what a bespoke problem-solving baby court (“PSBC”) could look like. As a barrister who has specialised in care proceedings in the Family Court for over a decade, this mixed methods project comprises ethnographic observations of both standard and problem-solving court (“PSC”) processes as well as the co-production process to design and implement a PSBC. Care proceedings are brought by local authorities when their children’s services have concerns that a child has suffered/is at risk of suffering significant harm. The ethnographic observations of these proceedings are supplemented by stakeholder interviews, a survey and projected cost-benefit analysis for adopting a PSBC as well as a mapping exercise of team composition across existing family PSCs, known as Family Drug and Alcohol Courts, in England. This project is being carried out in partnership with a local authority in the North West of England and considers a PSBC in the context of a trauma-informed approach to care proceedings. Trauma-informed centres on understanding the impact of psychological trauma and its implications for supporting families as they navigate these proceedings. The research extrapolates lessons from trauma-informed practice and PSCs in this jurisdiction and internationally that could be applied to standard care proceedings. This project is funded by the ESRC.