Contact Matters: A service borne out of Cafcass' systemic failure. Where child arrangements cannot be resolved following separation by mutual agreement, matters invariably proceed to court whereby the first person parents meet is a Cafcass reporter. Sadly, children in separating families are routinely failed by Cafcass - the service set up to represent their interests in Family Court Proceedings.
Despite Cafcass systemic failings being well documented, it's staff continue to operate in secret - without training its staff, properly or at all. It cannot be other than a matter of grave concern that, by its own admission, Cafcass has no 'time based' guidelines or training material outlining the factors to be taken into account when making what sort of recommendation (ie. It also has no training in parental alienation - a common factor in child contact disputes. Yet the Family Court relies on such reports as a document of weight, rarely challenging recommendations therein. Nugatory contact is the most likely outcome following recommendations of a Cafcass report if child arrangements are disputed. No proper reason is needed. Cafcass appears to consider it of no great import whether children see their parents. The right sort of advice and support when relationships come undone is fundamentally important. Children need timely solutions and a continuing relationship with both parents - not to be subjected to needlessly protracted litigation due to misleading reports, funded by Legal Aid. Contact Matters is about aiding parents to challenge procedural neglect so they can make the best possible arrangements for their children. Parents may separate - but they still need to co-parent. Best advice is, unless it cannot be avoided - DON'T go to Court! Contact Matters dares to be different by putting children first based on the 'early interventions' model for child conflict resolution.