TV Edwards was proud to sponsor the third annual East London Local Family Justice Board Conference, bringing together 300 family law professionals at Tower Hamlets Town Hall. With tickets selling out in just eight hours, the event highlighted the strength of commitment across the region to improving outcomes for children and families.
The conference featured a keynote address by HHJ Atkinson, reflecting on the achievements of the past 15 years and the importance of turning shared challenges into meaningful action. Excellent panel discussions with leading speakers explored important issues including race matters, coercive control, post-care proceedings work, and intractable contact disputes: when private law becomes public. The President of the Family Division, Sir Stephen Cobb, shared words of encouragement with the audience.
A central message of the keynote was that family justice is about more than processes and professional roles. As HHJ Atkinson put it:
“We are a community – not a committee, not a board but a community, built on working relationships, populated by people who care deeply about what we do.”
The address highlighted key priorities, including championing social workers, making the court experience more welcoming for parents, and improving support for parents following care proceedings. All ten boroughs have committed to shared principles and minimum standards for post-proceedings support, with implementation due to begin on 1 December 2026.
The keynote also emphasised the importance of compassion, respect and professional wellbeing, reminding delegates that seeing the person behind each case is essential to delivering family justice. The importance of cultivating curiosity about others was a recurring theme throughout the panel discussions.
The conference also explored the importance of reflection and professional wellbeing. and how sharing experiences can help professionals recognise the common challenges of working in family justice. The message was clear: if we do not maintain our own wellbeing, we cannot care for others. Reflective practice and mutual support can therefore have an important role in sustaining the people who work with children and families every day and the East London Local Family Justice Board intends to take this forward.
TV Edwards congratulates the Board’s Co-Chairs, Deborah Piccos and Victoria Roberts, and all the organisers involved on another successful conference. We are proud to support the East London Local Family Justice Board and the professionals working together to build a more collaborative, compassionate and accessible family justice system for children and families.
