---

Children and Adoption Bill [HL]

My Lords, perhaps I can quote from the report that we have been discussing. Under ““Overall assessment”” the report says:"““a system to improve the standard of practice overall has not been implemented and accountability for service delivery is deficient throughout CAFCASS. There is a disconcerting culture of rush and hurry in CAFCASS but practitioners do not make best use of the time available . . . The nature of domestic abuse is not sufficiently understood by most CAFCASS practitioners; the routine approaches used by CAFCASS do not assess risk and some are dangerous. There is a worrying lack of attention to safety planning throughout CAFCASS””." The problem is not just one of funding. There is much work to do. I know that my noble friend and the noble Baroness, Lady Pitkeathley, are working extremely hard to take the system forward. I understand that the toolkit that they have introduced on assessments for domestic violence is a welcome innovation and meets some of the concerns in the report. However, we need to give the organisation all the support that we can—financially and in other ways. I refer to the point made by the noble Baroness, Lady Walmsley, about representation of the voice of the child in such proceedings. A concern was raised in the recent Joint Chief Inspectors’ report, Safeguarding Children, involving children in court proceedings. That has to be done in an extremely sensitive manner, as was pointed out in the longitudinal report with which the noble Lord, Lord Adonis, provided me. Younger children can find themselves being caught between a rock and a hard place, if they feel that they are put in the position of having to choose between one parent and the other, but older children want to be part of the process and want to give their views on it. Professional work needs to be carried out. I thank my noble friend for tabling the amendment.