Cafcass services need the right support from Government
Cafcass is a non-departmental public body currently part of the Ministry of Justice.
The most recent National Audit Office report from October 2018 shows the MoJ as having four strategic targets.
These do not feature Cafcass at all beyond that which is to “deliver a modern courts and justice system”.
The fourth and last sub-objective regarding that target is to “support better outcomes for children, families and vulnerable adults”, which looks like an afterthought.
Cafcass is clearly not a priority for the MoJ. The Minister of State for Children and Families is based in the Department of Education and has responsibilities for child protection (including protection from child sexual exploitation and safeguarding), local authority children’s social care and family law.
Cafcass workloads are at an all time high and work demand is up by 7% on this time last year. The situation is critical and the organisation requires appropriate support from Government
Congress instructs the General Council to work in partnership with the Family Court unions and the official opposition to press Government ministers to take the necessary steps to ensure that Cafcass is placed within the remit of the DfE.
The General Council should include a progress report to the 2021 Congress
Rebuilding the Probation service
On the 13th June, the Secretary of State for Justice announced that all probation services will revert to public ownership and control, bringing an early end to the 20 Community Rehabilitation Company contracts in June 2021. This change of direction represents a significant victory over a privatisation policy that has been an unmitigated disaster for staff, clients, victims and the taxpayer.
Now that the first part of the campaign to save Probation has been achieved, Congress believes that there is a need for substantial investment in the Probation service in order that the damage of the last 6 years can start to be repaired and the service can once again excel at reducing reoffending and protecting the public.
Congress instructs the General Council to work in partnership with the probation unions and the Official Opposition to press government Ministers to take the necessary steps to recover what was once a world class probation service with the following objectives:
- Fully unified service provision delivered within the public sector and never for profit
- Removal of Probation from the civil service and release from the prison dominated culture which means that Probation is the forgotten ‘P’ in HMPPS
- A service built on evidence based practice
- A service rooted in the local community and partnering with local specialist providers
The General Council should include a progress report to the 2021 Congress