Written evidence submitted by CAFCASS
Managers Association (CAF 34)
The CAFCASS Managers Association (formerly the
Association of GALRO Panel Managers) was established as a professional
association in 1995. In March 2001 its AGM resolved to extend
membership to all front line managers (now called Team Managers
or Service Managers) of practitioners in CAFCASS, and changed
its name accordingly. Current membership is 40 public and private
law Team Managers in the nine regions and Wales.
The Association was and remains committed to
the development of an integrated service to the Family Courts
with a focus on the needs of children at its core. We want to
acknowledge also the commitment of managers and practitioners
who have remained with, or joined, the organisation, and despite
all the difficulties and external criticism have retained a vision
of the organisation CAFCASS can become.
As the only body which solely represents the
professional interests of front line managers, the Association
hopes to make an informed and constructive contribution to the
Inquiry.
Details were however only made available to
all CAFCASS staff on 7th March, and this submission is therefore
restricted by the limited time available. The Association can
if required offer more detailed evidence from members who have
worked on particular aspects:
1. IT needs;
2. Workload measurement;
3. Communication;
4. Information for children, and user feedback;
5. Training and development.
INTRODUCTION
To achieve its objectives, CAFCASS needs to
be fully staffed by competent trained practitioners and managers.
The service is still suffering to some degree from poor planning
prior to April 2001, and the disruption at senior management level
shortly afterwards. There was confusion about the level of resources
transferred in from the Local Authorities and the Probation Service.
Many of the working systems used by Team Managers for workload
and budget management prior to CAFCASS were not adapted effectively.
A significant number of Team Managers and practitioners
have found the personal as well as professional cost of remaining
with the service during its formative years too great. This has
had a serious impact on and created additional demands on those
who have remained to support and ensure that Service has been
delivered.
Our submission is based on the six objectives
for CAFCASS, as follows:
1. TO REPRESENT,
SAFEGUARD AND
PROMOTE THE
WELFARE OF
CHILDREN INVOLVED
IN FAMILY
COURT PROCEEDINGS.
(a) CAFCASS needs to clarify the role and
expectations of representation of children in private law; pressure
by courts and lobbying groups should be addressed urgently. (An
example is the increasing use of "Rule 9.5" referrals
in some courts.) Increased activity by some pressure groups is
taking up a significant amount of time and effort at all levels
of the organization.
(b) Co-ordination of the child protection
functions of CAFCASS, to ensure the agency is safeguarding children
at risk with whom it is dealing. It is understood that procedures
are currently being drafted.
(c) Establish system for user feedback;
dialogue with groups which represent children and young people.
(d) Commitment to examining and improving
practice in representing children and young people needs to take
priority over attempts at mechanistic control.
(e) Need for a properly resourced legal
department to provide expert advice to all staff—current
arrangements are unsatisfactory because of pressure of work on
CAFCASS Legal. Their advice and support is valued by practitioners
and managers, but current resources are limited.
2. TO IMPROVE
THE SERVICES
OFFERED TO
THE FAMILY
COURTS.
(a) The Association shares the concerns
about the current delays in allocating practitioners in many places,
and the waiting lists. The Association believes that local consultation
in the areas worst affected, and a review in all areas might help
prevent future delays. Reports completed by groups within CAFCASS
about workload levels and trends in demand should be made available.
CAFCASS should be in a position to address the recent LCD Report
(December 2002) which identified this agency as the second largest
contributor to delay in care cases. (The Association is unconvinced
that this is a sound perception).
(b) Evidence based calculation of workload
expectations should be agreed.
(c) A strategy on recruitment and retention;
workforce flexibility; equity in application of terms and conditions
would enable the current staffing difficulties to be better addressed.
(d) There is a continuing conflict between
local policies being introduced, resulting in variations across
the regions, while others are still awaiting decisions from the
centre.
3. TO IMPROVE
THE EFFICIENCY
AND EFFECTIVENESS
OF THE
SERVICES OFFERED
THROUGH INCREASED
VALUE FOR
MONEY.
(a) Establishment of a case management system
should not be subject to further delay, if current shortfalls
in data collection and analysis are to be overcome. This has resulted
from the abandonment or neglect of pre-CAFCASS legacy systems,
while the new system is awaited. This Project has still not been
set up, and it is not clear how much of the original funding for
it is still available.
(b) Review of accommodation strategy: measurement
of cost effectiveness of home and office working; differing travel
policies in the regions; under used office accommodation in some
places; unsuitable and crowded in others.
4. TO IMPROVE
THE SERVICES
OFFERED TO
FAMILIES AND
OTHER KEY
STAKEHOLDERS.
(a) Information leaflets are needed for
children and young people.
(b) Launch of a user friendly website is
still awaited.
(c) Adequate resources should be made available
to ensure that CAFCASS can encourage children and young people
to participate in the service it delivers.
5. TO DEVELOP
THE SKILLS
OF STAFF.
(a) Agree a training and development strategy
for staff at all levels.
(b) Agree supervision and appraisal systems.
(c) Address the workload issues for team
managers and the effects on sickness and resignation levels; the
expectation that managers will work long hours with no consideration
as to their family commitments.
6. TO PLAY
A FULL
ROLE IN
DELIVERING THE
WIDER GOVERNMENT
AGENDA OF
IMPROVEMENTS IN
SERVICE.
The Association has no knowledge as to whether
any of these plans or mechanisms are in place.
Underlying the above, the following should be
established as soon as possible if CAFCASS is to function effectively
as a national organisation:
1. An IT strategy built on a project management
structure, with user involvement, and training needs identified.
2. A research and information database accessible
to all staff.
3. Effective internal communication with
facility for discussion about practice issues.
4. Consistent policies across the regions
and Wales.
CAFCASS Managers Association
13 March 2003
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