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Copyright © 2007 Glyndŵr University and the authors, all rights reserved. Permission to copy, reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution must be obtained from Glyndŵr University. By choosing to view this document, you agree to all provisions of the copyright laws protecting it. It is published here with the permission of the authors and CAFCASS Cymru.

This report was commissioned by CAFCASS Cymru and the Welsh Government as an evaluation of the FDR Pilot being undertaken by the organisation in North Wales in 2007, and published by Glyndŵr University. This is a link to the Welsh Government’s Publications webpage http://wales.gov.uk/publications/?lang=en

This report is also available in Welsh - see additional file below

Abstract

This is the final report of a qualitative evaluation of the CAFCASS Cymru’s Family Dispute Resolution Pilot Programme (FDRP) in North Wales. The FDRP was developed as a child centred intervention aimed at resolving disputes involving children, without recourse to the courts. When parents separate children have a right to contact with both parents. Seeking effective methods to enable parental communication and cooperation is important for the positive welfare of the child/children concerned. The process of enduring parental conflict not only marginalises the rights of the right but places children at risk of harm. There is a widespread understanding that such disputes are not always helped by engagement in the adversarial court process. The earlier and quicker that parents cooperatively engage in out-of-court dispute resolution processes the better. There are currently a diverse range of conciliation, mediation and dispute resolution schemes operating throughout Wales and England. These schemes vary in terms of philosophy, methods, focus, time, court involvement and process. The effectiveness of these schemes is generally not known as relatively few programmes have been independently evaluated. This evaluation of the CAFCASS Cymru’s Family Dispute Resolution Pilot Programme (FDRP) in North Wales comprised postal questionnaires for parents and qualitative interviews with a sample of parents, children and professionals engaging with the programme.

Disciplines

Demography, Population, and Ecology | Family, Life Course, and Society | Gender and Sexuality | Inequality and Stratification | Medicine and Health | Mental and Social Health | Nursing | Place and Environment | Public Health

Recommended Citation

Buchanan, J., Parry, O., Pithouse, A., Warren, E., and Ifans, J. (2007), Focusing on the Needs of the Child An evaluation of the Family Dispute Resolution Programme pilot in Private law proceedings provided by CAFCASS CYMRU, Wrexham:Glyndŵr University