CAFCASS

Working Together to Safeguard Children states that CAFCASS' roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding children are:

2.134.
" to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who are the subject of
family proceedings;
" to give advice to any court about any application made to it in such
proceedings;
" to make provision for children to be represented in such proceedings;
and
" to provide information, advice and other support for children and their
families.

2.135 It is CAFCASS that appoints the individual Officer who might be a
CAFCASS employee or a self employed contractor. The CAFCASS officer is
appointed by the court to undertake one or more of their functions and can be
referred to by this general title. These CAFCASS Officers have different roles
in private and public law proceedings which are denoted by different titles.
The specific titles are:
" Childrens Guardians, who are appointed to safeguard the interests of
a child who is the subject of specified proceedings under the Children
Act 1989 or who is the subject of adoption proceedings.
" Parental Order Reporters, who are appointed to investigate and report
to the court on circumstances relevant under the Human Fertilisation
and Embryology Act 1990.
" Children & Family Reporters, who prepare welfare reports for the court
in relation to applications under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 (
private law proceedings including applications for residence and
contact), and increasingly also work with families at the stage of their
initial application to the court.
" CAFCASS Officers can also be appointed to provide support under a
Family Assistance Order under the Children Act 1989. (Local Authority
Officers can also be appointed for this purpose).
2.136 The CAFCASS Officer has a statutory right in public law cases to
access and to take copies of local authority records relating to the child
concerned and any application under the Children Act 1989. That power also
extends to other records which relate to the child and the wider functions of
the local authority or records held by an authorised person (i.e. the NSPCC)
which relate to that child.
2.137 Where a CAFCASS Officer has been appointed by the Court as
Childrens Guardian and the matter before the court relates to specified
proceedings (Specified proceedings include public law proceedings.
Applications for contact, residence, specific issue and prohibited steps orders,
which have become particularly difficult can also be specified proceedings)
they should always be invited to all formal planning meetings convened by the
local authority in respect of the child. This includes statutory reviews of
children who are accommodated or looked after, child protection conferences,
and relevant Adoption Panel meetings. The conference chair should ensure
that all those attending such meetings, including the child and any family
members, understand the role of the CAFCASS Officer.

Contact:  safeguardingchildrenboard@barnsley.gov.uk

This page was last updated on the 2nd of November 2011 and is scheduled for review on or before the 16th of March 2012