Health, Wellbeing and Local Government Committee

HWLG(3)-11-09 Paper 13

Committee Inquiry into CAFFCASS Cymru – Written evidence from the National Association of Child Contact Centres

1. Background

This is the response of the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) to the Call for Evidence from the Health, Welbeing and Local Government Committee of the National Assembly for Wales.

NACCC’s overall purpose is to promote safe child contact within a national framework of Child Contact Centres

The National Association of Child Contact Centres is the supportive network for around 350 Child Contact Centres (CCCs), the majority of which are registered charities. Local CCCs provide safe venues for children of separated parents to meet their non-resident parents. NACCC’s key responsibility to its member centres is to provide training and support, network and consultation opportunities to enable member centres to meet NACCC’s Accreditation standards and to empower its member centres to maximise their contribution to safeguarding children within their own communities.

2. Committee focus: Availability and Accessibility of child contact centres Core issue:  Deploying and allocating funds to CCCs

Geographical cover

Distribution of CCCs throughout Wales is patchy, characterized mainly by a cluster of centres concentrated in the south and, to a lesser degree, the north. Coverage in some large areas is sparse or non-existent –notably Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Powys and Anglesey -through lack of funding and/or lack of development.

Clearly this increases travelling distances and costs for families, heightened by the rurality of many areas. Coupled with emotional problems caused by separation and legal intervention, these physical and material problems can jeopardize the contact arrangement. The ability of referrers to find available and appropriate centres is also affected.

Inappropriate referrals

This links to an ever-present problem of inappropriate referrals; the situation is further complicated by the increasing amount of work and responsibility which volunteers are having to undertake in supported centres The employment of a paid coordinator is one way in which centres are responding, but this increases the previously low running costs. The true cost of providing CCCs is heavily disguised by the willingness of various groups to subsidise and sustain their existence. Given the nature of supervised CCCs, with qualified staff, close observance and relatively high running costs, sustainability has become even more of an issue.

Sustainability

Increased competition for sources of funding and the reluctance of some Trusts, such as Children in Need, to fund services seen so closely linked to the state has been exacerbated by the current economic situation. Lack of new money available to CAFCASS CYMRU means that there is a continued disparity around what centres are funded, with key ones receiving no funding, eg Swansea.

Wider needs

For a variety of resource-led reasons there is little evidence that much proactive work has been carried out to identify more diverse child contact needs.  Services tend to be necessarily mainstream. The impact on vulnerable children with any additional or non-standard needs means that they are even more disadvantaged.

Funding stability is a necessity to allow CCCs to be sustainable and flourish-

• NA CCC and CCCs urge the Welsh Assembly to provide CAFCASS CYMRU with additional funding to avoid regional and local variations and to work with NACCC to fund and support the development of new centres where there are identified gaps

• Funding information service made available to local CCCs and managed by NACCC. Welsh Assembly funding for set-up costs be made available - minimal costs needed

New centres or services need to be set up where there is an identified need. CCCs should be supported to meet specific changing and increasing needs

Existing CCCs are well positioned to extend geographically and in the services they offer. This is a model already operating in North and South Wales. Centres are already aware of the need for more services.  CAFCASS CYMRU might consider the following:

• A concentrated piece of work to be co-ordinated, with appropriate support and information. to explore the feasibility of this.

• Liaise with relevant local authority departments and other partners to raise profile and develop new contact centres or activities

• Identify whether there are any existing centres that are operating but are not members of NACCC nor funded by CAFCASS CYMRU

• Research needs to be carried out on existing contact services and needs, with a view to eventual development of such services to potentially meet every child's needs.

• A pragmatic and opportunistic approach should be taken within localities, working with partners and communities to develop such solutions as outreach, specialist services etc looking at different venues

3. Committee focus: CAFCASS CYMRU role in safeguarding

• There need to be more sustained supervised centres, as well as supported centres to enable realistic referral -see 1 above

• Continuous work needs to be carried out with CAFCASS CYMRU, members of the judiciary, Resolution (Solicitors Family Law Association), social services departments and centres themselves, to educate and inform on existing agreed protocol.

Supervised CCCs

NACCC has found CAFCASS CYMRU to be wholly supportive in our move towards accrediting supervised contact services becoming accredited to enhanced national standards.  They have funded centres to pay for this process.  NACCC itself has also been paid some core costs to carry out the work, including a consultation 2-day meeting with supervised centres.  Safeguarding and other issues were discussed fully, with the attendance of Rhian Davies and Paul Critchley.  It appears that CAFCASS CYMRU therefore have a very realistic idea of safeguarding aspects in supervised CCCs and – in any case – screen all potential referrals for risk.  

Supported CCCs

The standard definition of Supported Contact states that it is suitable for families where no “significant risk to the child or those around the child has been identified”. However, a recent NACCC survey has indicated that a substantial number of NACCC’s member centres providing Supported Contact are working with families where significant risks have been identified in relation to the child or those around the child. These risks include domestic violence, child protection issues, drug or alcohol addiction and mental illness.  In many instances the problems associated with these risks are contained by the centre, contact takes place and the family moves on. Nevertheless the survey has shown that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of families presenting centres with problems they are either struggling to manage or just cannot cope with. Some of these problems have resulted in centre users being threatening, abusive and occasionally violent towards volunteers/staff.

NACCC has just begun discussions on this with CAFCASS CYMRU, as well as with CAFCASS in England.  This is a factor that the agencies need to be aware of.  We know that in Wales all referrals from CAFCASS are firstly screened against domestic violence and other risk factors.  We would hope to establich a multi agency working group made up of representatives from centres, CAFCASS, the judiciary and organisations representing solicitors to try and address and resolve the problem of inappropriate referrals to Child Contact Centres providing Supported Contact.

• There need to be more sustained supervised centres, as well as supported centres to enable realistic referral -see 1 above

• Continuous work needs to be carried out with CAFCASS CYMRU, members of the judiciary, Resolution (Solicitors Family Law Association), social services departments and centres themselves, to educate and inform on existing agreed protocol.

NACCC has just begun discussions on this with CAFCASS CYMRU, as well as with CAFCASS in England.  This is a factor that the agencies need to be aware of.  We know that in Wales all referrals from CAFCASS are firstly screened against domestic violence and other risk factors.  We would hope to establish a multi agency working group made up of representatives from centres, CAFCASS, the judiciary and organisations representing solicitors to try and address and resolve the problem of inappropriate referrals to Child Contact Centres providing Supported Contact.

A key point is that there are not enough supervised CCCs (as shown above), leading to more demand on supported centres.  We would urge that CAFCASS CYMRU have more funding allocated to work in conjunction to develop more centres where there are gaps.

Closely related to this is the question of Quality.  Full member centres of NACCC are expected to meet national standards and become accredited, as an indicator of quality. Non-member centres do not carry out accreditation at all. CAFCASS CYMRU has agreed that referrals and funding should only be for accredited centres or those in the process of working towards it. Lack of availability means that there may be non-member centres, with no basic quality assurance, that continue to be used.

Since the profile and practice of supervised centres has developed, as well as government initiatives and legislation, the current accreditation needs have not remained static; they have evolved beyond those originally agreed. As such NACCC has produced enhanced standards -a new process in which Wales is taking the lead.

• Any service for children should have appropriate national standards as a bench-mark of quality. All contact services should be accredited or working towards it, depending on the stage in their development. CAFCASS CYMRU has agreed this.

• Related to this is concern about the lack of quality standards in contact within local social services departments. As discussed at a meeting with CAFCASS CYMRU and the Welsh Network, supervised centres will look at a comprehensive, combined package to offer to local authorities for public

4. Core issues: Views of users and stakeholders

The relationship between NACCC and CAFCASS CYMRU has been re-established since two years’ ago when it was virtually non-existent.  We have found CAFCASS CYMRU to discuss findings, issues and practice robustly, taking on board the principles of best practice and ensuring their relevancy to Wales.  Regular meetings are now established.  

The CCCs in Wales with whom we have directly been in touch, (all supervised and the welsh network), have unequivocally felt valued and listened to by CAFCASS CYMRU, who in turn recognise sustainability and development issues.  Centres are visited by CAFCASS CYMRU management for supportive reasons, thus the feeling towards them is positive.  There is a big difference in the way that CAFCASS in Wales is viewed to the way CAFCASS in England is perceived.

Conclusion

With more resources NACCC feels that CAFCASS CYMRU would have the will to strengthen the CCC position in Wales further, identifying gaps, working towards their development and ironing out disparities in current payments.

I would be prepared to give evidence in person should this be required.

Yvonne Kee
Chief Executive
Minerva House
Spaniel Row
Nottingham
NG1 6EP
0845 4500 280

ykee@naccc.org.uk

24.4.2009