An influential member of the board of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service has called on the children’s minister to review the make-up of the board, writes Derren Hayes.
Judy Weleminsky responded to a daming report into the performance of Cafcass by the select committee of the department for constitutional affairs, formerly the Lord Chancellor’s department, by saying Margaret Hodge should lead the review.
A review of board membership was one of the central recommendations of the select committee report after they criticised it for its lack of frontline experience.
Weleminsky also suggested that representatives of other organisations in the court welfare field should be co-opted to the board. The Judiciary Association of Lawyers for Children, children’s guardian group Nagalro, the National Association of Probation Officers, Cafcass Managers Association and looked after children Voice of the Child in Care, were some of those mentioned.
She said that future board meetings should have an ‘open’ period where stakeholder groups and individuals can sit in on the public part of the agenda, and would be allowed to ask questions for 30 minutes. She added that a board sub-committee should be established to ensure Cafcass puts children first in all its work, another area criticised by the committee.
Weleminsky also said Cafcass staff and Nagalro should contact all ex-guardians to try and encourage them back, with a hotline set-up to deal with enquiries quickly.
“[We need to] make it clear that a new atmosphere of
positively welcoming self-employed guardians is being pursued, and
all reasonable steps to make them welcome will be taken,” she
added.
