Cafcass publishes strategic plan for 2026-2029
Being ambitious for children in the family justice system
Cafcass publishes strategic plan for 2026-2029
Cafcass has today published its strategic plan for 2026-2029.
The new plan, ‘Sustaining ambition for children: working together, building resilience, inspiring change', builds on Cafcass’ long-standing commitment that children should be able to say they have experienced an exceptional service— wherever they are in the country and every time they engage with someone in the organisation.
Cafcass is this year marking 25 years of supporting children and families in family court proceedings. Our strategy sets out how we will ‘sustain our ambition’ for the 130,000 children with whom we work each year.The plan retains a structure around three core ambitions – Practice, People, and Partners –supported by nine priority programmes.
One further area of focus, Child Focused Courts, has been added to the three-year plan, following the Government’s announcement in March this year, that the reforms will be implemented across all family courts in England and Wales by March 2029. This shared system ambition, represents a significant opportunity to improve experiences for children and families in private law proceedings, particularly those who are victims of domestic abuse. Success for this ambition, requires system leadership that is relentless about effective practice and a culture that is led by what children need in safe families and communities.
Defining what is important for children has been central to the development of the strategy; the Family Justice Young People’s Board told Cafcass they want professionals who understand their experiences, who take time to build trust, who explain what is happening and why, and who see them as individuals rather than cases to be processed. Their voices have been central to defining what success looks like in the new plan.
Feedback from colleagues and partners has also helped us to be explicit about our priorities over the next three years, making clear that strategic thinking and improving practice need to go hand in hand to make change happen for children.
Speaking about the new Strategic Plan, Cafcass Chief Executive, Jacky Tiotto, said:
“We remain determined that children’s voices in arrangements that are made about them in connection with their families and carers are the loudest. We want their experiences and their feedback to have the most influence. Our key responsibility is to protect them from harm and the risk of future harm during family proceedings and to give advice to the family court that promotes their welfare and secures their best interests. Sustaining ambition is the way in which we will do all these things and do them well. Our strategy is being published as we celebrate our 25th year – we will give the best of ourselves to children, to their families and carers, and to our colleagues in order to secure the next twenty five!”
Baroness Levitt said:
“Cafcass plays a vital role in the family justice system, safeguarding children and helping families navigate the Family Courts. This strategy sets out a clear and ambitious direction for the next three years, one that reflects the dedication of everyone at Cafcass to improving the lives of children and families at some of the most difficult moments they will face”.
Cafcass’ Deputy Board Chair, Professor Eileen Munro said:
“Children and young people meet Cafcass at a turbulent time in their lives. Family Court Advisers and Children’s Guardians have the task of ascertaining the child or young person’s wishes and feelings and making a recommendation to the court that is deemed to be in their best interests. Such work is difficult and challenging but of such importance that Cafcass is always striving to improve the quality of the help they offer. The last strategic plan led to progress and this one continues that ambition, identifying where and how further improvements will be sought in building relationships with children and young people, so that they feel able to communicate their views, and in helping colleagues reach recommendations that take account of the mix of strengths and difficulties, and the unknown in the options available”.
You can read the full strategic plan, 'Sustaining ambition for children: working together, building resilience, inspiring change', on our website. This is supported by a shorter version of the plan. We’ve also developed a short animation that clearly summarises the strategy’s main aims, priorities and ambitions, along with the difference it is intended to make for children and families.
Notes to Editors:
Cafcass’ strategic plan is organised around four ambitions - Practice, People, Partners and Private Law Reform - and sets out nine priority programmes:
PRACTICE
Cafcass’ practice ambition is to enable all children to tell us that they have had an exceptional experience when they engage with us, everywhere and every time. Priority One is to further improve the quality and impact of practice and reduce local variation, because children everywhere should receive an exceptional service from everyone they engage with at Cafcass. Priority Two is to seek out and learn from feedback, giving all children who engage with Cafcass the opportunity to say what impact this has had on their lives and the difference it has made. Priority Three is to enable Cafcass systems to better support practitioners, so that family court advisers can prioritise the variety of their work and engagement with children.
PEOPLE
Cafcass’ people priorities reflect its belief that children and families are best served by diverse, well-supported and skilled professionals. Priority Four is to attract, engage and retain highly skilled people, with a continued focus on recruitment and retention, and on reducing sickness absence to ease pressures in some areas. Priority Five is to provide a safe, child focused and modern environment that works for colleagues, through a stronger focus on their health, safety and security, and developing a digital strategy to enable greater efficiencies through new digital technologies. Priority Six is to lead and govern well, because strong leadership and sound decision-making are ultimately safer for children and families.
PARTNERS
Cafcass’ partners priorities reflect the reality that nothing in the family justice system can be achieved by Cafcass alone. Priority Seven is to improve children’s safety and experiences of proceedings, recognising that children and families need support from professionals to protect them from harm and the risk of further harm. Priority Eight is to collaborate and influence to reduce delay in proceedings, because the family justice system needs to work more decisively together to improve outcomes for children. Priority Nine is to collaborate and influence to lead and implement Child Focused Courts, because child and adult victims of domestic abuse deserve earlier and better help and protection.
CHILD FOCUSED COURTS
The introduction of child-focused courts creates a generational opportunity. More children will be heard, earlier in proceedings, and harm – and the risk of future harm – will be identified more quickly. We will work to implement this new model for private family law proceedings across all English court areas, delivering effective and timely outcomes that are safe for child and adult victims of domestic abuse. We will resource and lead our transformation programme – working closely with the MoJ-led programme board overseeing implementation of the Model – because transformation only happens with the right resource, leadership and good governance.