CAFCASS

(asked on 18th November 2020) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (a) management, (b) staff, (c) trade union representatives, (d) users and (e) other stakeholders on maintaining the effectiveness of that service.


Answered by
Alex Chalk Portrait
Alex Chalk
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
This question was answered on 23rd November 2020

The Ministry of Justice monitors the effectiveness of Cafcass thorough a partnership relationship which includes regular contact between Departmental officials and senior Cafcass executives. The Ministry of Justice is represented on a weekly Programme Board held by Cafcass to monitor the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on its performance, staff and users. The Permanent Secretary, as Principal Accounting Officer, has also been in regular communication with the Chief Executive and Chair of Cafcass to discuss how services to users can be effectively maintained, and how Cafcass staff are being supported, during current restrictions. Ministers have oversight of the performance of the wider family justice system and agree key priorities through the national Family Justice Board which includes Cafcass and relevant stakeholders in the family justice area.

Cafcass, as an Arms’ Length Body (ALB) of the MoJ, employs and regulates relations with its staff independently of the Ministry of Justice. As an ALB, discussions with trade union representatives are a matter for Cafcass only.

Reticulating Splines