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Written question asked by Priti Patel (Conservative) on Monday, 26 November 2018, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 28 November 2018. It was answered by Lucy Frazer (Conservative) on Tuesday, 4 December 2018 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

CAFCASS: Domestic Abuse

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that the involvement of the Child and Family Court Advisory and Family Support Service does not inadvertently support the perpetration of domestic violence.

Answer

The welfare of the child is paramount in all court desicions about a child's upbringing.

The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) has a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children involved in proceedings and undertakes safeguarding checks in every case where a parent seeks the child arrangements order to live with or spend time with a child. These checks include enquiries to local authority and police. Convictions or cautions that may be relevant to a risk of harm or further harm to the child are reported by Cafcass to the court prior to the first hearing to support safe decision-making. Cafcass also has a freestanding statutory duty to report to the court on any risks identified at any other stage during proceedings.

Cafcass has developed Domestic Abuse Practice Pathway and recently launched Child Impact Assesment Framework to provide its practitioners with additional tools to assess the impact of domestic abuse and inform its recommendations to the court about child arrangements.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
195547
Session
2017-19
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
CAFCASS Domestic abuse
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk