Statement from Cafcass on the issue of Guardian's
Employment
22nd February 2002
The Children and Family Court Advisory and
Support Service, (Cafcass), is delighted to be issuing today a
choice of contracts for guardians. We believe this provides the
basis for resolving the issue surrounding the employment of
self-employed guardians, and that soon, it will be able to draw a
line under the dispute which has overshadowed Cafcass' first
year.
We are glad to confirm that Cafcass will be
offering a choice of employed and self-employed contracts, thus
benefiting from the professionalism and depth of experience
available to us in England and Wales.
Since the judicial review last year, we have
consulted widely with NAGALRO and with the guardians via the
Electoral Reform Survey to ascertain their views. We believe our
proposals respond to their key concerns and address issues
regarding the Inland Revenue's rules on self-employment.
Over the last year, the organisation has
continued to deliver good service, in spite of the setbacks. In its
first year, Cafcass is set to produce over 32,000 Private Law
Reports and over 11,500 Public Law Reports, helping the Courts
reach decisions on issues such as care, adoption, residence, and
contact proceedings, always focusing on what's best for children
and their families.
We are now looking forward to a more positive
year, and next week we will be publishing our first Corporate Plan
that sets out our aims for the coming years. We are confident that
we now have the basis for real development and improvement in the
years ahead.