CYP Now - Family Justice: Call for new breed of family mediator

Nagalro, the professional body for children's guardians, family reporters and independent social workers, says the Government should look at developing a new breed of professional family mediator as part of reforms to family justice.

Its call came as parenting groups cast doubt on the ability of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) to cope with a new mediation role, as set out in the Government's green paper on family separation.

Nagalro spokeswoman Veronica Burke said the Government should capitalise on the hundreds of thousands of pounds it had poured into organisations like the UK College of Family Mediators, National Family Mediation and the Legal Services Commission, and set up professional standards, training and accreditation for family mediators.

She said: "The Government has already invested a lot of time and money into other organisations that deal with intervention at a much earlier stage. I don't know why all of that now has to be in Cafcass."

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