Health, Wellbeing and Local Government Committee
Committee Inquiry into CAFFCASS Cymru – Evidence from FNF – South Wales West Branch (Port Talbot)
Observations
Recognition Of Good Work
Despite individual failings FNF members recognised that Cafcass officers do a difficult job. Many Cafcass officers do an excellent job – whilst others fail badly. The problems were felt to be systematic – and come from a corporate culture of vacillation and delay within which there was an inherent and old fashioned gender stereotype.
Parental Alienation
Parental Alienation or ‘implacable hostility’ by the resident parent is the most important issue that our members experience.CAFCASS Cymru does not address this issue in a timely or systematic manner – as they fall into the trap of seeing it primarily as a medical / psychological condition was has yet to be fully recognised in the academic field.
Contact Centres
Cafcass Cymru are aware of only 17 child contact centres in Wales. The National Assoc. of Child Contact Centres similarly has only 17 centres listed. Cafcass Cymru need to be much more pro-active in their work with a diversity of child contact centres across Wales – many of whom they fail to support financially (eg BBC Children in Need submission to the Health, Well-being & Local Govt. Comm.)
Weak Recommendations / Interventions
Work of many individual officers was praised by FNF members – however there was often an inconsistent approach – and one characterised by caveats and compromise when clarity is necessary to protect the best interest of the child. This exacerbates the massive problem of delay – which again further compounds the problem of parental alienation.
Family Assistance Orders
Their role and purpose seems poorly understood and often inadequately enforced by Cafcass Cymru. Too often the opportunity to intervene to make real differences for children is lost in delay and vacillation in the face of the implacable hostility of the resident parent.
Scrutiny & Accountability
Little faith in the accountability of the organisation. The current ‘Advisory Committee’ was stacked with organisational representation from bodies such as Welsh Womens Aid, childrens charities and the legal services with whom many members had experienced gender discrimination. It was strongly felt that this committee was NOT the appropriate means to exercise the hands on assessment of CAFCASS Cymru’s work - a more suitable one being CSSIW.
