Three Weeks in November: CAFCASS Care Application Study 2014

Cafcass have just published their third survey of Guardians’ views regarding care applications (s31 Children Act 1989) made by local authorities.

The aim was to gauge the views of Guardians in relation to care applications received by Cafcass during the period 11 – 29 November 2013, specifically in relation to:

• Whether the timing of the care application was appropriate, premature or late; 
  
• Whether there was any other course of action which, in the view of the Guardian, the local authority should have taken before issuing proceedings; 
• Whether the local authority met the requirements placed on them by the revised PLO; and
• Whether new or updated assessments had been commissioned prior to the making of the application and, if so, whether the assessments were in the child’s best interests. 

Key findings from the research include: 

• Guardians believed there was no other course of action [than making an application] available to local authorities in 84% of cases. 
• In 84% of cases Guardians thought that the local authority had met or partially met the requirements of the revised Public Law Outline (PLO); and in 32% of the cases where Guardians indicated that the local authority had not met the requirements they considered this was appropriate. 
• Neglect remains the principal category of concern for children who were, or had been, subject of a child protection plan; and was identified by Guardians as being the principal trigger for care applications where the child was not the subject of a plan. 
• Guardians considered that the timing of the application was appropriate in 54% of cases.

This research will come as welcome affirmation to Social Workers in the sector whom seldom see their dedicated work with children and families recognised in the public arena. However, it is disappointing that I was unable to find one news article related to the report during a quick Google search. News agencies are quick to pick up on damning findings from serious case reviews but are not so interested to learn that on the whole Social Workers do a very good job safeguarding and protecting vulnerable children.

If you would like to read the research in full you can find it here.