Cafcass introduces first National
Standards
3rd April 2003
The first service standards of the Children
and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) for its
work with children and families involved in family proceedings will
be implemented across England and Wales from April 2003.
Following extensive consultation with
stakeholders and Cafcass practitioners and staff, a framework of
Service Principles and Standards has been approved by
the Cafcass Board.
The same consultation exercise also provided
input into a Cafcass Comments, Compliments and Complaints Policy.
This Policy, also due to be implemented nationally from April,
incorporates a rigorous complaints procedure to ensure that issues
regarding the service are reviewed and resolved transparently and
efficiently. It also encourages service users to offer their views
on their experience of the service.
Announcing the new framework and policy, Anne
Chan MBE, Director of Operations at Cafcass said, “The Service
Standards set benchmarks for the delivery of timely, quality
professional services and, together with learning from the feedback
of our service users, will help to improve the overall standard and
consistency of our work in the family courts.”
Performance against the Service Standards,
which will also be used by HM Magistrates’ Courts Service
Inspectorate (MCSI) in their inspections of Cafcass, will be
reported quarterly.
The new standards and policy bring together
and develop those inherited from the three former services from
which Cafcass was established. Along with a range of
initiatives, strengthened by the harmonisation of terms and
conditions for all employed staff, this development
takes Cafcass further along the path of creating an
integrated, unified service.