Open letter to CAFCASS “An open letter in respect of my resignation from Cafcass 26 September 2011 Dear …………………, I have long had my doubts as to whether Cafcass as an organisation is fit for purpose. I have been critical of the honesty and integrity of the management of the service, things that continue to concern me. I have to agree with the many individuals and organisations who have concluded that the problems of Cafcass are so manifold and entrenched that any satisfactory solution requires a complete transformation. This has, inevitably created tensions in my employment, particularly as Cafcass has become increasingly prescriptive in the way in which it requires its advisors to work. The emergence and consolidation within Cafcass of a ‘compliance culture where meeting performance management demands becomes the dominant focus rather than meeting the needs of children and their families’ (Munro Review of Child Protection: Final Report: HMSO May 2011) is something that I, and many of my colleagues have found to be deeply troubling. I have therefore, reluctantly, come to the conclusion that it is not possible for me, as a Cafcass employee, properly to represent the interests of children nor to report independently, honestly and helpfully to the court in a way that is consistent with my statutory duties and my professional conscience. Fulfilling the statutory duties of a family court reporter requires a degree of professional autonomy which Cafcass employees are, in practice, effectively denied by the compliance culture and its various managerial buttresses. I have therefore resigned from Cafcass. My last day of service was yesterday. It is not possible for me personally to contact everyone with whom I have worked over many years but I would like to express my thanks to everyone within the Bristol and Avon Family Justice world for the generous advice, assistance and support I have received in all sorts of ways. Please feel free to circulate this letter – and apologies to those I have not contacted directly. Yours sincerely Charles Place”
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 11:37:26 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015