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2026 Public Child Law Conference

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Details

Speaker: Various

Date: Wednesday 15th April, 2026

Time: 09:30 - 15:00

Areas of Law: Family

Competencies: B

Venue:
Taylor Wessing

Course Code: S4959

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Description

Join us for the 2026 Public Child Law Conference, bringing together leading practitioners and specialists for a comprehensive and practice‑focused update on the key challenges shaping public child law today.

The finalised agenda features an exceptional line‑up of experts covering critical topics such as formulating effective questions for experts to address evidential gaps, understanding HRA injunctions where notice is given to remove children from parents or carers under final care orders, and examining whether the 26‑week limit remains fit for purpose. Delegates will also gain valuable insights into interpreting drug and alcohol testing results, receive a 12‑month update on the FDAC model, explore trauma‑informed approaches to public child law cases, develop practical skills for working with families experiencing poverty, and learn best‑practice approaches for supporting parents going through care proceedings.

This rich programme is designed to equip practitioners with practical tools, current knowledge, and improved confidence when dealing with the complexity of public child law cases.

*Multi Delegate Discount Offer for Members* Pay member rate for 1st delegate, then £99 for 2nd & only £49 for all other delegates (+vat)

Booking total will show full price but invoice will be discounted. Multi delegate discounts cannot be used in conjunction with the Training Passport

This event can be attended in-person or virtually (via MS Teams). When booking, please select if you wish to attend ‘Face-to-face’ or ‘Virtual’. All bookings, whether you attended in-person or virtually will be able to access a recording post event.

Kindly Sponsored by

Forensic Testing Service (FTS) specialises in comprehensive forensic drug and alcohol investigations, providing expert analysis tailored for legal proceedings. Unlike routine testing labs, FTS offers in-depth evaluations that ensure accurate interpretations, reducing the risk of misleading results. Their advanced approach is crucial for reliable, evidence-based decisions in family court cases.

Welcome

Formulating questions to experts to fill evidential gaps in public child cases - Margaret Parr, Harrington Street

Formulating questions to experts in public child cases is a challenging area where practitioners consistently seek guidance to improve case preparation and decision‑making. The key purposes of expert questions in Public Child Law cases include filling evidential gaps, seeking clarification and exploring issues not yet considered. This session will explore the basis and timing of questions under FPR 25.10. It will highlight the benefits of well‑framed questions, the pitfalls of poorly structured ones, and the effective use of research and literature, including how to check their status and judicial treatment.

Understanding HRA injunctions where notice is given to remove children from parents/carers placed under final care order - Lauren Maires, St Johns Building

Understanding Drug and Alcohol Test Results - Steve Nurdin, Forensic Testing Services

In this session Steve Nurdin will provide delegates with an understanding of drug and alcohol analysis, including how to interpret findings and the implications these have for public law cases.

Refreshment Break

Is the 26 week limit fit for purpose? - Celestine Greenwood, Exchange Chambers

Update on FDAC 12 Months On - Sophie Carter, Centre for Justice Innovation and Carol Batchelor, FDAC Team Manager

Lunch and Networking

The damaging impact of poverty on the right to family life, and how anti-poverty practice can help - Diana Skelton, ATD Fourth World

This talk will examine the hidden social and psychological dimensions of poverty and their disproportionate impact on investigations by children’s social services, which often conflate poverty with indicators of risk of neglect. In 2022-25, parents and young people in poverty co-led research on poverty, social work and the right to family life which was supported by the University of Essex Human Rights Centre and Amnesty International UK as demonstrating a failure in the UK to respect the right to protection and assistance to family life as codified in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. This research underpins anti-poverty practice training delivered by ATD (All Together in Dignity) Fourth World, a human rights organisation led together with people in poverty.

Supporting parents during and after care proceedings – a trauma informed approach - Paula Fairbrothe, Haven Project

Understanding trauma is key to understanding how best to effectively support parents during and after care proceedings. Therapeutic interventions from specialist mental health services may be required for some of our clients, however there are also day-to-day strategies that can be used to support people who are experiencing distress.  In this presentation we will explore:

  • A brief overview of how trauma effects cognition and behaviour
  • What this means for parents involved in the family courts
  • How the Haven Project works
  • The importance of relationship and continuity of support
  • Some practical strategies to take away

Round Up and Thanks

Speaker Biographies

Margaret Parr

Margaret specialises in family law and has appeared in the Court of Appeal and High Court. Margaret represents parents, children and Local Authorities in care and adoption proceedings. She has experience of complex cases involving sexual abuse, non-accidental injury, substance misuse, mental health issues and neglect. She has experience in deprivation of liberty applications. In private law proceedings, Margaret represents parents and children and is experienced in dealing with intractable contact disputes, implacable hostility and international relocation. Margaret acts in ancillary relief proceedings, including those involving pensions and company assets.

Steve Nurdin

Steve is a Senior Business Account Manager at FTS, with over a decade of experience in laboratory analysis and forensic toxicology. In his current role, Steve works closely with Local Authorities, leading family law firms, barristers, and judges using hair strand analysis and expert reporting to support child safeguarding efforts and improve outcomes in Public Law Outline (PLO) cases. At FTS, he helps deliver some of the UK’s most in-depth forensic analysis, alongside expert guidance and reporting that supports thousands of legal and social care professionals nationwide. He also regularly delivers free webinars on best practice models.

Diana Skelton

Diana Skelton spent ten years representing ATD Fourth World at the United Nations. She was Deputy Director General of ATD Fourth World in 2008-16. Currently with ATD Fourth World UK, she runs its Giving Poverty a Voice Programme. She is also an editor of the Journal on Poverty and Social Justice and the author of Joyful Revolution: Poverty, Social Justice and the Story of Mary Rabagliati. Her novel Until the Sky Turns Silver was recognised by the Next Generation Indie Book Award in the category of social change.

Paula Fairbrother

Established in 2011 the Haven Project is a Liverpool based charity specialising in supporting parents who are involved in the family courts.   Haven’s approach uses individualised packages of support to help parents engage with the court process, improve their mental health, reduce isolation and achieve positive, lasting change.  The service is led by Paula Fairbrother, a children and families social worker with more than 20 years experience of working with parents in the family court system. In July 2026 the Centre for Justice Innovation will begin an evaluation of Haven’s support model as part of their role in exploring innovative practice across the UK.

Celestine Greenwood

Celestine Greenwood is a barrister at Exchange Chambers with over twenty years’ experience specialising in family law, especially public law children work. She has also worked overseas in development, human rights, and in teaching and developing law in Belize, Central Asia, including Afghanistan, the Pacific region, the USA, Moldova and India. Currently she is undertaking doctoral research into family law reform as well as working with organisations that support families living in poverty and advance girls’ human rights.

Prices
Member £155
Non-member £205
Training Passport Free
Note: 20% VAT added at checkout