Dear Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service,

Whilst awaiting a personal response from your CEO for the benefit of any person visiting this site “what do they know” the Local Press seem to have a good sense of CAFCASS operations up here in the north whilst the CEO and National CAFCASS bury their heads in the sand hoping matters will go away; they won’t:

The Press weekly newspaper published the following:

“ i’ve banged heads with Kirklees social services several times over the years and on at least one occasion prevented the management and decimating good honest people’s lives.
It is a wreaking failure of our country that the stories can rarely be made public and these corrupt or idea logically poisoned people held to account .
I’m mired in a horrendous case which if I reported it to see me rapidly hauled before a judge.
A Child and its mother’s lives I’ve been systematically destroyed by a combination of bent lawyers a vain and stupid judge, the nasty autocrats and incompetent staff at Kirklees social services and the little-known that widely despised organisation called Cafcass the children and family court advisor and support service.
These people have innocent and vulnerable lives in their hands but they act like demigods and are tragically unthinkably answerable to no one if a parent challenges then they can pay for that audacity with their child’s very life.
People survivors of domestic abuse by trying to fight this broken system and the rally aimed at dragging the sadistic actions of Cafcass officers particularly into the daylight is being held in London on October 26.
To find out more and lend your support go on Facebook and search for #the courtsaid.”
The Press Newspaper

Also it was reassuring for MP Tracey Brabin speaking out in Parliament this week about the need for reform in the family court referring to the “Kafkesque” nature

The political climate is changing and people have had enough.

I have informed CAFCASS in writing and by reasonable adjustments FOIA due to defunct 1step complaints procedure about the unlawful operations of the Leeds office.

Once again I remind CAFCASS that I await meaningful investigation from their CEO...glad my Local Press are supporting victims of this unhinged, out of control CAFCASS office. With hindsight the permitted audio speaks volumes capturing irrationality, unlawfulness and procedural impropriety of Ms Andrea Walters and Jodie Rees CAFCASS Leeds. Your CEO is aware of this to include Ms Rees admissions about Witness Statements but CAFCASS continue not to deal with this... An honest law abiding organisation would be keen to deal with an FCA operating in a role only afforded to a judge. The operations of the Leeds office, whilst being ignored by National CAFCASS are having spotlights shone on them locally.

I await meaningful engagement from your CEO.

Do CAFCASS have any updated information as to why Ms Jodie Rees Leeds is undertaking the role of the Judiciary to include gathering witness statements as it is clearly in the public interests of service users under her locality under the management of Ms Walters to obtain full, frank and honest information about the operations of the Leeds office.

Yours faithfully,

[Name Removed]

Dear Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service,

The columnist adds:

“As you read this at least one local child, a bright and intelligent youngster, is being forced to live in absolute misery purely because it’s mother stood up to a lying CAFCASS Officer.
It’s wrong on every imaginable level” Ed Lines The Press Newspaper

I will sleep better at night knowing the editor of this newspaper feels so strongly about this CAFCASS office. It’s reassuring Danny Lockwood is aware of this sham operating locally with dishonesty. Whilst National CAFCASS hide in their bubble at least locally their bubble is bursting.

This information is for the benefit of victims of this sham and local people will be very aware the editor of this newspaper exposes shams for the ordinary person.
Yours faithfully,

[Name Removed]

Dear Governance,

This is a freedom of information request. It requests full frank and honest information CAFCASS hold about CAFCASS Leeds gathering Witness Statements. Please provide the information CAFCASS hold to include where governance have any communications to with hold the release of any witness statements in requesters SARS.

Cafcass clearly hold information about the process therefore please provide all information regarding CAFCASS Leeds gathering witness statements and all internal memo’s, emails, documents regarding this matter

Yours sincerely,

[Name Removed]

Dear Governance,

This is a freedom of information request. It requests full frank and honest information CAFCASS hold about CAFCASS Leeds gathering Witness Statements. Please provide the information CAFCASS hold to include where governance have any communications to with hold the release of any witness statements in requesters SARS.

Cafcass clearly hold information about the process therefore please provide all information regarding CAFCASS Leeds gathering witness statements and all internal memo’s, emails, documents regarding this matter therefore please provide ALL internal information CAFCASS hold on ‘witness statements’.

Yours sincerely,

[Name Removed]

Dear Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service's handling of my FOI request 'CAFCASS: Local Press coverage

1. Your response is inaccurate you responded to say re: complaint of Jodie Rees gathering witness statements that ‘appropriate complaints avenues have been provided to you [me]

2. You are misleading me and the public.

3. On 2/8/19 I received the following from Spencer Hird head of practice.

Thank you for your letter received at the Cafcass national business centre on the 26th of July .

The matters that you have raised have been responded to within the Cafcass complaints procedure and unfortunately there is nothing further that Cafcass can do to resolve your concerns .

As per Ms Foggos email to you on the 24th of June 2019 Cafcass will not accept any further complaint from you

Yours sincerely
Spencer Hird.

4. NB: EASS informed me Ms Foggos response was victimisation under the Equality Act

5.:As you and now the public can clearly see Mr Hird wrote “CAFCASS will not accept any further complaint from you.

6. My complaint about WITNESS STATEMENTS was submitted to Ms Rees recorded delivery dated 12/8/19 which was ‘after’ Mr Hirds letter and of course Ms Rees and CAFCASS ignored this thus your response is inaccurate and misleading. CAFCASS knew I was going to be submitting complaints; protected acts therefore Mr Hirds letter was only to stymie any complaint. It is victimisation within the meaning of the Equality Act to treat somebody badly because you know they are going to make a protected act; complaint.

7.CAFCASS knew, as I told them in good faith, after meeting with permitted audio that I would be submitting a complaint, a part of the meeting with Ms Walters pertaining to Ms Rees gathering witness statements. It is not procedurally proper or Equality Act compliant to act in bad faith as simply as Mr Hird did to write CAFCASS will not accept any further complaint from you

8. On 23 /9/19 HMCTS wrote that it is not a matter for HMCTS [CAFCASS gathering witness statements breach of EHR Act article 6 etc] but a matter ‘ for CAFCASS’.

9.The matter of witness statements and the ramifications came to light ‘months after the one step complaints procedure closed’ and CAFCASS have only stymied this complaint with NO complaints avenue provided to me.

10. As HMCTS it is a matter for CAFCASS and given you ignore all correspondence except on this site and in view of the procedural improperness of Ms Rees gathering witness statements, CAFCASS having copies, copies filed by Ms Rees to the court but NOT to parties etc then the only mechanism I have to put this to CAFCASS is via this medium and as a reasonable adjustment due to your other CLOSED avenues I’m asking you to accept this complaint and ‘deal’ with it in a procedurally proper manner.

11. The PHSO has also told me that because CAFCASS ‘have not accepted the complaint’ it is not a matter the PHSO can deal with and would be classed ‘not ready for the PHSO to consider. It is important to note for the public’s benefit here that *where CAFCASS don’t accept complaints/ignore them they can be considered NOT ready for PHSO to consider* which could be seen as CAFCASS effectively obstructing a complainant from PHSO; despite CAFCASS signposting them again leaving the complainant with no redress.

12.Not only is it in my interest but the public interest where Ms Rees gathering witness statements infringed article 6 and 8 EHR Act. None of this said lightly.

13. If HMCTS are saying it is a matter for CAFCASS then you need to deal with this. It would be irrational and procedurally improper for you to ignore this. I am openly offering CAFCASS 15 days to investigate this properly as matters I raise are of a serious nature I have made repeated requests to CAFCASS as HMCTS have said it is for CAFCASS to deal with which I think is a ‘fair and reasonable proposal’.

14. If all bodies are saying it is a matter for CAFCASS and CAFCASS ignore it then that is irrational, procedurally improper.

15. Despite Mr Hirds letter and based on HMCTS letter of 23/9/18 I submitted yesterday to CAFCASS CST the complaint about witness statements as I have been directed by HMCTS to contact CAFCASS directly. Given this was what was written by HMCTS I will be expecting CAFCASS to respond.

When it comes to a social working undertaking the role of judiciary that is a severe interference with the Justice system, highly repugnant and unacceptable and when it infringes human rights, Equality rights, and may be perverting the course of justice action needs to be taken by CAFCASS in an Equality Act compatible, EHR Compliant manner and a manner that complies with Family court rules.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

Yours faithfully,

[Name Removed]