CYP Now - Family court body raises concerns over Cafcass training scheme

An association representing children’s practitioners in the family courts has raised concerns about the creation of a newly qualified social worker (NQSW) training programme by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass).

Family court advisers support children the subject of public and private law cases. Image: AdobeStock

Earlier this month, Cafcass launched a three-year training programme for NQSWs to incorporate an assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE), a six-month work placement in a local authority and further academic training.

This programme is overseen by the Cafcass Social Work Academy and enables NQSW to develop practice skills in a safe environment, according to Cafcass.

However, Nagalro, the association for children’s guardians, family court advisers and independent social workers, said Cafcass’s roles are “unsuitable” for newly qualified and inexperienced staff because of the “extremely complex” nature of cases.

In a statement it said: “The decisions made by courts shape children's lives forever, including whether children’s relationships with their parents should be severed. They are fundamental ones about who brings a child up, who has a relationship with a child and what sort of relationship that will be.

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