A free online seminar about child protection and the family justice system being held today will feature former President of the Family Division, Sir James Munby.

The open event, organised by Royal Holloway university and entitled, “Inequality & Rights: Child Protection & the Family Justice System”, will include a presentation by James on the social work sector’s treatment of vulnerable families and children, and experiences of parents inside the child protection system during the pandemic.

The symposium will be opened by Robert Jago, Head of Law and Criminology, & Social Work at Royal Holloway.

The Parent, Family and Allies Network, Professor Brid Featherstone and Professor Anna Gupta at Royal Holloway, will also be speaking at the event.

The Eventbrite page for the symposium includes a statement which says the conference has been launched so that child welfare professionals can, “reflect on the important concerns facing children and families and professions who work with them in these challenging times. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing social and economic inequalities facing marginalised groups. The rights of individuals, and groups in such a context present a keen challenge for professionals working in the child protection and family justice systems.”

The statement adds, “This symposium, organised jointly by the Departments of Law and Criminology, & Social Work, brings together important debates to discuss key issues of concern. Located within a framework of human rights and social justice, the symposium seeks to contribute to scholarly, and policy and practice understandings.”

You can register for the event here.