Just Back From 1st Hearing - Who Polices CAFCASS?

Thank you all for your messages. This site is fantastic for good advice from good people who seem to genuinely care. Thank you.

CAFCASS..... An anagram that has little to do with the safeguarding of children!

I have had two reports done by them, the first described me as a controlling bully and recommended the traditional pattern of alternate weekends and tea once a week. I got 50:50! the second did much the same and I retained my 50:50 SRO.

Despite what CAFCASS say they do in my experience, they do not come upto the mark. The solution is to do everything they ask of you. The interview, be polite focus completely on the best interests of the child and do not denigrate the mother. Have a reasonable contact or residence plan worked out, try and run it past the mother beforehand but if that is not possible then tell CAFCASS about it. Focus on the time you have with the kids and show that you are a good parent. Offer to take the child to clubs, why does the mum have to so it? Get really involved ion the child's life.

When the report is done and you will probably not like what is in it, go through it with a fine toothcomb, record everything you do not like or is wrong. Any factual errors can be sent back to the report writer for amendment, but that is it. Make sure you inform CAFCASS that you want the report writer in court for the hearing, you will then be able to question them on the contents of the report. Where they got their evidence from? How they arrived at their conclusions?

The simple answer is if you are good enough to have the child for one day, why are you not good enough to have them for more than one day?

Treat CAFCASS as a hurdle to overcome, they are not infallible and their track record is appalling. Do not make an offical complaint against them yet. You can only complain about procedural issues. i.e. they did not do their job in accordance with strict guidelines, even then they may ackowledge that but will do nothing about that. My complaint has taken nearly ten months and is with the Parliamentary Ombudsman even though CAFCASS admitted that the report writer made some glaring mistakes.

You will have to deal with some damning statements about you from the ex, deal with the report in the same way, fight it, show that it is wrong, do not get hung up about it.

If there is anything I can help you with in relation to this then message me.

Good Luck

Thank you Gershie, that's such an informative post. I'm sure we'll need further advice, thank you for your kind offer.