Ofsted rates Cafcass service as inadequate

An Ofsted inspection report into the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service in Lancashire and Cumbria revealed significant failings in reducing the time children are waiting to receive services. The inspection report, published today, also raised concerns that children are being left at risk of harm while waiting for a service.

The area was given an overall rating of inadequate. Criticisms included not doing more to evaluate and improve the quality of services, responding poorly to increased user demand and not learning from complaints.

The report did however highlight that once cases are allocated, direct work with children and young people, case planning and reports to court are generally of a satisfactory standard or better.

"As Ofsted acknowledges, our service in Lancashire and Cumbria has ‘significant strengths’," said Anthony Douglas, Cafcass chief executive. "The concerns they identify, especially about more systematic reviewing of unallocated work, are well founded and we are dealing with them immediately.

"We will use the Ofsted process to support our direction of travel on practice improvement, which is a tough ask at a time of rising demand and pressure."

Darren Shaw, Cafcass operations director for the North, said: "We will redouble our efforts to improve complaints, service responsiveness and in particular our work on safeguarding over the coming months."