Patrick Parkinson calls for the family to be placed at the centre of policy making

On Tuesday 22nd January, CARE hosted a seminar in Westminster entitled: 'Both Sides of the Coin: An Integrated Policy Framework.' Here you can listen to the presentations by Patrick Parkinson, Samantha Callan and Karen Woodall.

View Patrick Parkinson's slide-show

Listen to the Presentations*

View Samantha Callan's slide-show

 

*	Patrick Parkinson’s presentation begins at 00:13:53 Samantha Callan’s presentation beings at 00:41:00 Karen Woodall’s presentation begins at 01:01:07

 

Supporting families post-separation is becoming increasingly important in today’s society. Families endure after separation and the family law system has to be redesigned to deal with the ongoing problems of parents who remain connected through their children and continue to have conflicts, long after separation.   Equally important is preventing family breakdown in the first place and moving from a position of treating it as inevitable to a position of actively supporting families through difficult times. Relationships between couples cannot be airbrushed out of the policy picture. The focus over the last ten years has been on parenting, but the new focus needs to be on how we can support stable relationships and how helping couples is an integral part of an early-years strategy.

 

	Professor Patrick Parkinson University of Sydney   Patrick Parkinson grew up in Britain and graduated with first class honours in Law from Oxford University. He taught in Cardiff for three years before taking up an appointment at the University of Sydney in 1986. Now a professor in law he has, in recent years, had a great deal to do with government policy on family law and child protection.
	Samantha Callan PhD Research Consultant   Dr Samantha Callan is recognised as an expert in the field of family relationships and work-life integration. She provides research services to voluntary sector organisations (such as Care for the Family) and industry, and advises politicians and policy-makers from across the political spectrum on family issues.
	Karen Woodall Centre for Separated Families   Karen Woodall is the Director of the Centre for Separated Families, a non-governmental organisation working to support parents and children affected by family separation. Karen is a qualified counsellor, specialising in Psychodynamic and Relational models of therapy and has a particular interest in the impact of divorce and separation on children.