Cafcass's Every Day Matters consultation proposed the creation of localCafcass partnership boards to bring it together with other localservices to work in a more integrated way.
But Alison Paddle, chair of the National Association of Guardians AdLitem and Reporting Officers (Nagalro), warned that integrating Cafcassand local services risked compromising the independence of those chargedwith representing children in court proceedings.
"We're worried that Cafcass is getting too close to social services,"said Paddle. "Guardians shouldn't duplicate the work of social servicesbut if Cafcass gets too close to social services it will preventpractitioners acting in an independent way, especially when we need topresent a robust challenge to social services on the child'sbehalf."
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