Is there anyway of getting a copy of all the assessments and tools that the cafcass officer used and references as part of the section 7 report? I.e the parental alienation assessment, welfare checklist etc?
hi,
lot of into/tools here: https://www.cafcass.gov.uk/grown-ups/professionals/resources-for-professionals/
@bill337 thanks bud - I mean are we able to request from cafcass a copy of the assessments they completed whilst writing the report - to see their results I mean?
The welfare checklist is as follows.
Childrens Act 1989, Section 1
1 Welfare of the Child.
(3) In the circumstances mentioned in subsection (4), a court shall have regard in particular to-
(a) the ascertainable wishes and feelings of the child concerned (considered in the light of his age and understanding);
(b) his physical, emotional and educational needs;
(c) the likely effect on him of any changes in his circumstances;
(d) his age, [censored], background and any characteristics of his which the court considers relevant;
(e) any harm which he has suffered or is at risk of suffering;
(f) 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;
(g) the range of powers available to the court under this Act in the proceedings in question.
Here’s a copy of the standardised form that Cafcass offers fill in for the Section 7 report. It’s a useful document to read before a section 7 visit or interview. It clearly highlights the:
-Objectives of the report.
-The information that Cafcass collects.
-The issues that will be focused.
-Types of concerns or issues that ware irrelevant.
Just bear in mind that Cafcass don’t test evidence and are not permitted to speculate on whether something said by a parent or child is true.
https://adcs.org.uk/assets/documentation/Section7_Template_Resource_Pack_web.pdf