Cafcass' annual report is coming out on July 16th we will have a news story on it in the magazine this thursday and I have written a feature on it which will appear in the magazine a week later but which we may well put on the website beforehand (I will keep you posted). It is embargoed so I can't discuss it here yet but one thing I hadn't realised until writing the piece was that Cafcass is be biggest employer and contracter of social workers in England. I had always thought of it more in terms of the size of a local authority. With this in mind I don't think we write about it enough. What do other people think? Should we be writing about Cafcass more?

hi in would like you to write about cafcass more as it seems to be so hated in the media. i read a lot about the negative side of it that a balanced piece of journalism would be good. 

you are right, most of the stuff that is reported on on CAFCASS tends to be negative but that is the nature of news I suppose. my piece is more negative than positive but i do give them a fair crack of the whip to outline how they are tackling the problems hightlighted by Ofsted.

 I agree that we should write more positive stuff on it though in general, I will put it to the powers that be.

maybe it is all negative i dont know but i do feel for workers who work for places like Cafcass who are just trying to do a job, their morale must be affected or maybe i am making assumptions. 

the report is out and, surprise surprise, it's not a good one. as a child protection worker my experience of cafcass is not a good one. most have never worked in CP and they wouldn't know a genuine case of abuse if it bit them on the a***e. they're to worried about sucking up to the judge and the parents.

hello. are they not  suppose to be there for the children?

In my humble opinion, Cafcass should be abolished. Its funding should be ring-fenced to provide early and intensive therapy/support intervention with families where concerns have been identified (pre any court proceedings). For cases that get to court, scrutiny of local authority practice and plans should be provided by independent social workers (not a Cafcass bureaucracy that is completely out of touch with practice).

It is my belief you will have your wish by April 2009.   Coram have taken over in all but name.

Can someone please point out one part of their total partnership that in the meaning of a  - TOTAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST?

How is it  possible for the 3 rd largest Adoption (Charity) to be directly working with the one and only organisation that by statute is required to be               in every way independant of any Court, Legal, Government, Social Work Dept or Worker.  They stand for one thing alone

THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILDREN. - HOW CAN THEY STATE THAT IS BEING HELD PARAMOUNT?

 

Please explain this to me.

Thankyou

It does not make sense to me. I am always alarmed at how many Guardians are ex social services fostering and adoption workers. Surprise, surprise, they are almost always in favour of compulsory adoption (this work is easy). I cannot recall for a very long time coming across a Guardian who has any experience in constructive therapeutic work with families and successful reunification work (this work requires significant skills). That is one reason why Cafcass should be abolished. It is inherently anti-family and pro-adoption.