The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (Nuffield FJO) is calling for the introduction of shared measures of success across the family justice system, arguing that current metrics – focused on system efficiencies such as the length of proceedings – do not capture the outcomes that matter to children and families.
In a briefing document published this week, Nuffield FJO’s associate director for research and data, Ellie Ott, identifies a framework of proposed measures and suggests how data collection could be improved to ensure transparency and accountability.
Ott argues that because the family justice system involves several different agencies, shared measures of success are essential for good governance, transparency, accountability, and to build a reflective culture for continual learning and improvement.
She then identifies four goals and describes for each how potential short and long-term measures of success might look. These are (1) a system focused on children’s outcomes, including wellbeing (2) a family court that is an effective gateway to positive changes in life, (3) a system where children and families are treated fairly and equitably and (4) meaningful participation for both children and adults in decisions that affect their lives.
Ott proposes that children and families should be at the centre of the measures and that they should be refined through consultation and piloting with children and families who have been through the family justice system.
She then calls for stakeholders not to wait for better data to start measuring success, stating that some of the proposed indicators could be designed to leverage existing data. However longer term, she says, there need to be improvements to data collection and a “planned implementation process” to improve and quality check data.
As an example, Ott cites that data on pre-proceedings and family group decision making is now in the children in need census in 2026 and 2027 data guide (Department for Education, 2026). This follows “scoping and consultation processes and is accompanied by data support processes to allow for this data collection of understanding diversion from family court”. New measures will need similar implementation plan processes she says, to allow for the collection and use of measures on “what really matter to family justice”.
Read the Developing measures that matter in the family justice system briefing paper in full
