About Cafcass
The organisation
Cafcass was set up on 1st April 2001 under the
provisions of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act which
brought together the family court services previously provided by
the Family Court Welfare Service, the Guardian ad Litem Service and
the Children’s Division of the Official Solicitor’s Office.
We are a non-departmental public body accountable
to Michael Gove, MP, the Secretary of State for Education
in the Department
for Education (DfE). We work within the strategic
objectives agreed by our sponsor department and contribute to wider
government objectives relating to children.
Cafcass stands for Children and Family Court Advisory and
Support Service.
Cafcass is independent of the courts, social services, education
and health authorities and all similar agencies.
The remit
We operate within the law set by Parliament and under the rules
and directions of the family courts. Our role is to:
- safeguard and promote the welfare of children
- give advice to the family courts
- make provision for children to be represented
- provide information, advice and support to children and their
families.
What we do
Cafcass champions the interests of children
involved in family proceedings, advising the family courts in
England on what it considers to be in the best interests of
individual children.
Cafcass’ professionally qualified social
work staff, called Family Court Advisers (FCAs), work exclusively
in the family courts. Examples of matters that may be decided by
family courts are:
- When children are subject to an application for care or
supervision proceedings by social services (public law).
- An adoption application (public law).
- When parents who are separating or divorcing can’t agree on
arrangements for their children (private law).