Napo briefed MPs ahead of the oral Justice Questions session in parliament on 8 December. Munira Wilson, Lib Dem MP for Twickenham, was just able to get in a question about the government's longer-term strategy for Cafcass before being timed out. She asked Justice Minister, Robert Buckland “Ministers will be aware that the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service was already experiencing a workload crisis pre pandemic, which has only worsened through the lockdown. Although the Ministry of Justice has provided additional welcome short-term funding, do the Government have a longer-term strategy to ensure that Cafcass can better retain staff and deliver a service that truly meets the needs of children and families?”
The Minister replied: The hon. Lady will be glad to know that an extra £3.4 million has been allocated to Cafcass to help it through the crisis. Indeed, I take the point about long-term planning. In fact, we are looking wholesale at the way in which family cases are dealt with. The family harms report published this year was a no-holds barred analysis of what is wrong with the system, and both I and senior judiciary within the family division will do something about it.”
Munira has been asked to table the follow up questions, which did not get heard, as written parliamentary questions. These are:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the decision by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) of 23 November 2020 to allocate only the highest priority work in South Yorkshire and Humber:
• What steps is he taking to avoid the necessity for Cafcass to trigger the prioritisation protocol elsewhere.
• What estimate he has made of the additional financial resources necessary to (a) stabilise Cafcass in South Yorkshire and Humber; and (b) avoid the necessity for Cafcass to trigger the prioritisation protocol elsewhere?
• What impact assessment his Department has carried out on the effect of the prioritisation protocol on children and families.
• What steps his Department is taking to (a) improve the effectiveness of Cafcass; and (b) increase Cafcass staff retention.
We will keep members informed when we get the answers.