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

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

3. 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.

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

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

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

7. …

9. 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

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

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

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

13. gmfcf.org

14. 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?

15. My Christmas present
“The Subtle Art..”

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