A survey produced by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory is hoping to gather information from parents and relatives who have experienced supervision orders in England and Wales.

Supervision orders, which must be applied for through the family courts, give local authorities the power to monitor a child’s needs and progress, and should involve social workers offering the family as a whole all the help and support they need.

It’s important to add that a supervision order doesn’t give local authorities parental responsibility over children and doesn’t give them the right to remove children from parents. Parents always keep their parental responsibility during the life of a supervision order.

The research project is being carried out on behalf of the President of the Family Division’s Public Law Working Group.

The Observatory is looking specifically into cases where the supervision order was made with regard to at least one child, and as a standalone action without any other connecting orders.

The organisation would like to hear from parents and family members who have been involved in care proceedings in the last six years where a supervision order was made and who are happy to fill out the survey.

Families can also register to take part in a focus group or interview about supervision orders, and can do so by contacting Judith Harwin (j.e.harwin@lancaster.ac.uk) or Lily Golding (l.f.golding@lancaster.ac.uk; 07511 555990) at Lancaster University.

The survey, which can be accessed here, runs until 8 March 2021.