S8 Ep5: Care or Incarceration? How some of the UK’s most vulnerable children are being failed with Lisa Harker

We speak with Lisa Harker, the Director of the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory, who gives us an insight into the alarming rise in the use of Deprivation of Liberty Orders on children. 

She explains how vulnerable children, many born into poverty and facing complex needs, are increasingly subjected to severe restrictions on their freedom through these court orders.  According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Justice, 1,280 children were subject to applications to deprive them of their liberty in 2024 in England and Wales.

Lisa and her team at the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory have been researching the issue, and have even provided evidence to the UK Government on why this practice which resembles incarceration needs to stop.

The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory is an independent research body, funded by the Nuffield Foundation that improves the lives of children and families by putting data and evidence at the heart of the family justice system.

Join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

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The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert
A Whistledown Production