With approximately 75% of our total workforce being qualified Social Workers, we are the largest employer of Social Workers in England. Whether you are looking for a frontline role or a managerial role, take a look at our current vacancies. If we are not currently recruiting for a role that interests you, then you might want to register for our National Social Work Talent Pool. Cafcass originally covered England and Wales but on 1 April 2005 Cafcass Cymru was created with responsibility transferred to the Welsh Assembly.

Except in the exceptional circumstances in which their welfare and/or safety is in jeopardy, it is the right of every child to preserve and maintain consistent, loyal, and loving relationships with both parents. Unless there is a risk of harm, the decision of their parents to separate should not put the child’s continuing relationship with both parents at risk of breaking down. How will I know when I am emotionally ready? You will know you are emotionally ready when you can shift your focus away from how you are feeling about what has happened and your child’s other parent to the welfare of your child and what is best for them.

The local authority must satisfy the court that the child has suffered or is likely to suffer significant harm in the care of their parents, whether they are together or apart. The concerns of your local authority may include:

how capable each of his parents, and any other person in relation to whom the court considers the question to be relevant, is of meeting his needs A Curriculum Vitae which provides details of your education and qualifications, employment history, directorships, membership of professional bodies and details of any publications or awards; Holders of public office are expected to adhere to and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-life/the-7-principles-of-public-life--2 . These are: I have found the role provides me with autonomy but I know that support is readily available from my line manager and an approachable senior leadership team. You will work with parents, relatives, local authorities and the courts, and must demonstrate your understanding of what the child needs, wants and feels.Our work can be demanding. Therefore, you will need to be resilient and organised, have the ability to work proportionately, with strong IT skills and excellent verbal and written communication skills. There are some simple exercises that can be effective and help you to put your feelings to one side and to focus on attending to your child. You might find it helpful to repeat these several times: An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role . You need to take care that your child does not get caught in the middle or feels pressured into taking sides. This can be extremely upsetting for children and can damage their relationship with both parents. This can very often be obvious to the professionals working with you. In extreme circumstances it can be seen as ‘alienating behaviours’. We know that “it is what is done with information, rather than its simple accumulation, that leads to more analytic assessments and safer practice” (Brandon et al 2008). When using practice aids, be clear about what the results mean for the individual child you are working with and think about how you use the lists of questions, building them into interviews and observations with sensitivity.

a b c d e f g h i j Cafcass (July 2016). "Cafcass annual report and accounts 2015 to 2016". www.gov.uk . Retrieved 20 October 2016.

They explain at the outset that they will listen carefully to understand experiences and perspectives of the parties to the application, and that they may seek the views and perspectives of others who know the child and their parents. They form their own independent professional assessment and share the reasons for their recommendations. It might be that your child has had time to think but has not been able to pinpoint why they are feeling sad, angry or worried. It is okay for you to offer some suggestions if you have an idea why they might be feeling like that, such as “Do you think you are worried because you will miss your dad?” Hi! My name’s Kelly. I was 11 when my mum and dad split up. There was a big row and Dad left, and my younger brother Darren and I stayed with our mum. I was really sad when Dad left, and I didn’t really understand what was happening. My mum was upset too, and one day Dad came round but Mum wouldn’t let him in. I still wanted to see my dad, but I didn’t like telling my mum because she got upset.

The Assessment and Child’s Plan is the section of the child’s record where FCAs and Guardians record their thinking, developing analysis and reasoning for the child. It is where the manager’s oversight is also recorded. It forms part of the Child Impact Assessment Framework and applies throughout our work with children for their duration of their proceedings. Other parts of the Child Impact Assessment Framework and all relevant concerns for the child will need to be considered as the assessment progresses. One thing that changed after the process was that I’m actually closer to my dad now. He was always the stricter parent, so when I said I wanted to live with my mum, I was scared to tell him, but he was okay with it and asked me when I wanted to see him. He reassured me and now I feel like I can talk to him about anything because I could tell him that and it was okay. Cafcass set up a meeting to explain what was going on and that helped. They told us why we were going through this process. It was useful to have them break down the situation and explain what was going on. I didn’t feel so scared after that.act out’ by becoming rebellious or change the way they normally play so that it is angrier, or begin to shift their social groups to people with whom they feel they have emotions in common, so they are in an angrier or rebellious group; There are three steps to help you become emotionally ready to listen to your child and help them to recover from the trauma of their parents’ break-up.