CIRcUL awarded funding to evaluate Children's Court Advocate Pilot Service
The Centre for Implementation Research at University of Limerick (CIRcUL) has been awarded the contract to conduct an independent evaluation of the Children's Court Advocate (CCA) Pilot Service, an innovative initiative designed to strengthen the voices of children and young people in private family law proceedings, which is due to be launched in the coming weeks in Clonmel and Waterford.
Commissioned by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, the evaluation will examine both the implementation and outcomes of the Children’s Court Advocate Pilot over the coming years. The research will explore how the service is delivered, the experiences of children, families and professionals, and the factors that support successful implementation within the family justice system.
Delivered by Childhood Matters, the Children's Court Advocate Pilot aims to ensure that children and young people are better informed about family court processes and are supported to express their views in ways that are appropriate to their age, development and individual circumstances.
The evaluation will be led by Dr Laura Keyes, Director of CIRcUL, supported by a multidisciplinary team of researchers and implementation scientists from the University of Limerick, including Andy Bray (CIRcUL) and Prof. Susan Leahy (School of Law).
Dr Keyes commented: "Children and young people have a right to be heard in decisions that affect their lives. This evaluation provides an important opportunity to understand how the Children's Court Advocate model can support children’s meaningful participation within family law proceedings and to generate evidence that can inform future policy and practice. Working alongside our partners in the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and Childhood Matters, this research will examine how the pilot is being implemented, the experiences of children, families and professionals, and the conditions that support positive outcomes. The findings will help identify what works, for whom, in what circumstances and why, providing valuable learning for the future development of child-centred approaches within the family justice system."
Professor Lucy-Ann Buckley, Head of the School of Law, said: “I am delighted that the School of Law is able to contribute its huge expertise in family law to this important project. Family law proceedings can be challenging for all concerned and it is essential to ensure that children receive the right supports to participate effectively and have their voices heard.”
The evaluation will be undertaken in collaboration with key stakeholders involved in the pilot, including the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Childhood Matters, the Courts Service, members of the judiciary, legal professionals and participating children and families. The pilot work will be undertaken in Co. Tipperary and Co. Waterford.
Using a mixed-methods approach, the research will draw on interviews, surveys, workshops and service data to understand both how the pilot is implemented and what outcomes it achieves. The evaluation will be informed by implementation science, child participation frameworks and realist evaluation approaches to generate practical learning for policy and practice.
The evaluation will examine how the pilot operates in practice, identify barriers and facilitators to implementation, and assess its contribution to enhancing children's participation within the family justice system. Findings from the study will support learning during implementation and inform future decisions regarding the development and potential expansion of the model.
This appointment marks another significant milestone for CIRcUL, further establishing the Centre as a national leader in implementation science and applied policy research, working at the intersection of research, policy and practice to improve outcomes for communities and public services.
