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Children and Adoption Bill [HL]

My Lords, this is an interesting amendment. In the chief inspector’s foreword to the HMICA report, he states:"““We also need to recognise how emotionally wearing it is for the wide range of professionals who have to deal with domestic violence on a near daily basis. As this inspection shows, there is a risk that individuals within agencies sometimes find it easier to down-play or even ignore the presenting signs of domestic violence””." My assessment from the report is that there may be a serious concern about what is going on in a family, but the CAFCASS officers do not know what to do with it, so they shove it under the carpet, metaphorically speaking, or turn away from it. That is partly because they are worn down by the difficult cases with which they are faced, and partly because they do not know where to take such concerns. What I welcome about the amendment is that it says, ““If you have serious concerns about the family, we will improve the connection with the professional interventions in public law to make sure that they are dealt with””. I look forward to the Minister’s response, and thank the noble Baroness, Lady Walmsley, for tabling the amendment.