CYP Now - Family judge trailblazers aim to address persistent court delays

Five areas are piloting new, local approaches to tackling delays in public law proceedings with emerging evidence they are reducing waiting times and improving outcomes for those children who need it most.

Trailblazers aim to improve pre-proceeding practice to divert cases from courts by providing families with dedicated family support workers. Picture: DRAGONIMAGES/ADOBE STOCK

In January 2024, the Department for Education initiated the Designated Family Judge (DFJ) Trailblazer pilot programme in England to address persistent delays in public law proceedings within the family court system. These delays have been a longstanding issue, with the national average duration of such proceedings reaching 46 weeks in March 2023, significantly exceeding the statutory 26-week target set by the Public Law Outline.

There is wide acceptance in the system that we can and must do better. The programme attracted significant interest from DFJ areas across the country. Following a competitive process, the pilot programme is now being implemented in five DFJ areas, namely:

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