From 1 April 2001, guardians ad litem have been renamed children's guardians and operate within the new Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. In this article Annie Bourton and Jean McCausland outline research undertaken by The Children's Society between 1997 and 1999, which considered the process of investigation by guardians as well as the views of children. A decade after the implementation of the Children Act 1989, the research findings illustrate how this part of the system works and the impact guardians have on children's lives. The child-focused nature of the work from an independent base is seen as crucial.
