Designated Family Judge for Greater Manchester GM LFJB Conference HHJ Lesley Newton Designated Family Judge for Greater Manchester February 2018

Introduction Discussion/Questions Suggestions as to how we can do things better The judicial speakers are all here to listen as well as talk

The pressures of work Increase in public law applications 23% Increase in private law applications 6% Increases in just about everything else! Manchester still the busiest DFJ area in England and Wales.

Performance – public law 2016/17 average care case duration 25.6% weeks !!!! FTYD – 26.4 weeks

Performance private law “continuous improvement” 2016/17 – 21.9 weeks – really good FYTD 24.9 weeks

What else we have achieved together in the last 12 months Consolidation of E-filing and E-bundling Wi-Fi What Manchester does today….

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And…. Successful closure of Bury/Bolton and Oldham S7/s37 protocol Implementation of the pre-proceedings protocol in all Local Authorities Children at Home on Care orders work Urgent applications protocol

And…. Agreement as to advocates who lack a right of audience Extra sitting days Mediation pilot Court Utilisation pilot Support for LiPs

And…Voice of the Child Children’s Access Tours - 13th March 2018 Virtual Reality Launch on 28th February 2018 Rogues Gallery

And…successful training events Has included Lunchtime seminars Court skills training for social workers Coming up…

gmfcf.org

Work in progress Trying to get more judges Compliance Direct recruitment of family panel magistrates pilot Photographs of child to accompany applications The Cafcass pilot A Financial Remedies Court pilot?

My Christmas present “The Subtle Art..”

Over to you…. What are the pressing issues which need attention? Going wrong? Going right? Thank you!