Almost every unresolved dispute between parents over arrangements for children is referred to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (‘Cafcass’), which looks after the interests of children involved in family proceedings. Cafcass will investigate the case and report back to the court, usually with a recommendation as to what orders the court should make.
And sadly in many of those cases there are issues regarding alleged domestic abuse. For example, where a father is seeking contact with his children the mother may allege that the father has been abusive towards her. Such cases must, of course, be very carefully handled by all involved, including Cafcass.
Last year the Ministry of Justice set up an expert panel to look into how the family courts protect children and parents in private law children cases concerning domestic abuse and other serious offences. The panel made a number of serious findings in relation to both the processes and the outcomes for parties and children involved in such proceedings.
In response to those findings Cafcass has published an improvement plan which provides key priorities to strengthen its practice with children and families who have experienced domestic abuse, being clearer about how they explain their decisions to them, and improving the effectiveness of their management oversight.
Cafcass Chief Executive Jacky Tiotto said:
“We are committed, alongside other agencies in the family justice system, to improving all of our work with children and families who have experienced domestic abuse. It’s been so important to build on what we heard from the Ministry of Justice’s Expert Panel on Harm, and our own subsequent work to review and understand the quality of our practice and improvements that we need and want to make. We hope that the learning from our listening over the last year is explicit in our improvement plan and our wider learning and development programme. Children and families who experience our support and help deserve the very best from us and we want to offer advice to the family court that promotes the best interests of children and secures their safety.”
Hopefully, the plan will mean will mean a better service for all children and families who have experienced the scourge of domestic abuse.
Obviously, domestic abuse is a very serious issue in cases concerning children, and can have a significant bearing upon the outcome. Whether you are the victim or the alleged abuser you should therefore seek expert legal advice, at the earliest stage. We can find you an expert that works with you on our digital platform. For more information, call us on 020 3904 0506, or click here, and fill in the form.
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Family Law Café offers a modern, agile and compassionate approach to family law, giving you a helping hand when you need it and guiding you through the complexities of this difficult and stressful area. Family Law Cafe is your start-point for getting matters sorted with strategy, support and security.
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