5.2 What is Cafcass?

The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) is a non-departmental public body who are independent of the courts, social services, education, health authorities and all similar agencies. Cafcass officers are experienced social workers who will work with families involved in a dispute over a child to help the court determine what is in the best interest of the child. Its role is to safeguard vulnerable children caught in disputes that will impact the child throughout their life.

Individuals and families cannot approach Cafcass directly for help and support: their involvement is triggered by family court proceedings. In appropriate cases Cafcass will produce a report within proceedings and, exceptionally, they may be invited by the court to become a party to the proceedings to represent the interests of the child.

Cafcass are only involved in court proceedings that involve a child. This can be for private proceedings (typically applications for a child arrangement order issued by parents, grandparents, siblings or carers) and public child care proceedings (typically applications for a care or supervision order or an adoption order issued by social services due to serious concerns about a child’s welfare).

As parents involved in public law proceedings are eligible for legal aid, Support Through Court volunteers are not usually involved in supporting clients in public law proceedings. In your volunteering you will therefore most commonly encounter Cafcass when supporting clients involved in private law family cases.

To find out more go to the Cafcass [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] website. Further information is also available on the Child Law Advice website.