‘Children not trophies’: An ethnographic study of private family law practice in England

Abstract

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Commentary: Technology, power and inequalities – achieving a humane approach to the digital divide – a commentary on Aboujaoude and Gega (2021)

“…Professionals were left navigating this uncertain terrain without the necessary toolkit and responding to an increased level of need without the necessary resources. (Holt & Kelly, 2020).…”

“…Parents left facing the prospect of losing their children were dialled into remote hearings alone, and children were left exposed to risk during these times. The experiences of children of being isolated, inattentive, preoccupied and angry due to an increased dependency on remote ways of communicating and from being in situations that felt unsafe, were mirrored by a range of professionals who similarly felt both isolated and unsafe, but who were also tasked with safeguarding children during this unprecedented period (Holt & Kelly, 2020). Professionals were operating remote silo working practices, with children and their families hard to reach, and risk increasing due to rising levels of poverty, domestic abuse, mental health and substance misuse (Featherstone, Gupta, Morris, & Warner, 2018).…”

“…The audit culture predominantly focuses on risk and ‘packages of care’ at the expense of individually assessed need, and has been supported with standardised processes and protocols, resulting in professionals spending increased amounts of time behind a computer as opposed to face to face relational ways of working. The system is both shaming and punitive when need is assessed through a risk lens (Holt & Kelly, 2020). Significantly, practice needs to focus upon creating change within families with methodologies such as motivational interviewing and systemic family therapies.…”