Complaints statistics
Dear Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service,
Please could you provide me with the total numbers of complaints made against CAFCASS, and the number of complaints upheld, partially upheld and rejected for each of the following periods : 1 April 2011 - 31 Mar 2012, 1 April 2012 - 31 Mar 2013, 1 April 2013 - 31 Mar 2014 and 1 April 2014 to date (or to end September).
If you categorise the subject matter of your complaints, please could you tell me how many complaints fell in each such category in each period (for example at 1.23 of your complaints and compliments policy you set out the following categories which the customer services team is to match the complaint against, so I assume you hold this data : The professional judgement of a Cafcass practitioner;
Factual errors within a report or other communication to the court;
How the case has been managed and administered by Cafcass;
The performance or conduct of a Cafcass employee;
The actions of a Cafcass Commissioned Service Provider.)
If you hold data about how many of the complainants were represented / litigants in person or how many of the complaints were made through a solicitor please can you provide those figures for each time period.
Please provide figures for how many of the complaints in each time period were made by children as compared to adults.
Please confirm for each of the time periods how many complainants referred the matter to the PHSO.
If you cannot provide all of the information requested it would be helpful if you could provide those portions of the information you are able to provide.
Thank you very much in advance.
Lucy Reed
Dear Ms Reed
Thank you for your email.
Please find attached our formal acknowledgement of your Freedom of Information request.
Kind regards,
Governance Team
[email address]
Dear Ms Reed
Thank you for your email.
Please find attached our formal response to your Freedom of Information request.
Kind regards,
Governance Team | Cafcass
G [email address] | www.cafcass.gov.uk
Dear Governance - Cafcass,
Thank you for your response. I wonder if you can tell me who decides upon the primary category for complaints? Is the complainant asked to select or is the categorisation selected by CAFCASS itself.
Yours sincerely,
Lucy Reed
Philip J Measures left an annotation ()
For those who may not know the PHSO is as follows:
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman ...
www.ombudsman.org.uk/
I hope that Ms. Reed now seeks an Internal Review as it may be that CAFCASS does in fact hold the information that she is requesting.
Failing that The Information Commissioner may be a good route to complainto as he may well direct that CAFCASS do collate that information and divulge it to the public.
Secret Family Courts? More like secret CAFCASS!!!
Dave Darby (Account suspended) left an annotation ()
Shocking!
Once again, this farcical organisation cannot supply all of the details. Since 2001, CAFCASS have been failing to keep records that may appear to be derogatory towards them...no surprise there eh! The one record that everyone wants to see is that CAFCASS can prove that they actually do "work in the best interests of the children". Come on CAFCASS, PROVE IT!
Tommi Cayden Darby, your dad loves you very much buddy and one day I hope you'll understand what this disgusting organisations claims to do, yet fails drastically.
Dear Ms Reed
Thank you for your email.
The complaint categories are selected by the customer services team member who log the complaint. We do not require complainants to categorise their concerns as part of the complaint handling process.
We are in the process of reviewing the categories in line with our complaints procedure to make them simpler. However, as a result of Cafcass’ move to a new case management system, this may not be finalised for some weeks.
However, our main focus will continue to be putting things right for the service user while their case is ongoing and feeding this back to improve our overall service, rather than attributing categories.
Kind regards,
Governance Team | Cafcass
G [email address] | www.cafcass.gov.uk
Philip J Measures left an annotation ()
Equally unhelpful to the public (as well as the Ministry of Justice, MP's and professionals - never mind its own staff) in knowing whether there are upwards or downwards trends in levels of satisfaction and what aspects, specifically, it needs to most address and what progress is being made (or otherwise).
This provides further clear evidence that CAFCASS refuses to be open, transparent and accountable.
Nighat left an annotation ()
Hi
I am feeling a little deflated after all the negativity I have read about going down the CAFCASS complaints procedure, people seem to have been stamped on from a great height and largely ignored. However, I do see a difference in my actual complaint. Most of the bias I have read about appears to be in favour of the mothers, but in my case her bias was without a doubt in favour of the father. Naturally the judge looked at her statement which painted me in a negative light, and took on the CAFCASS officers recommendations as fact. I am astonished at how these negligent and mismanaged "Senior" social workers yield so much power over our family court system, and they appear to be failing to do anything about rectifying it. I have been mis treated by this agency, and misrepresented unfairly. I do intend to pursue a complaint, and hope to God this woman does not come in to contact with any children who may be in actual harms way. Even my Solicitor seemed scared when I mentioned I was complaining about the CAFCASS report!!
Dave Darby (Account suspended) left an annotation ()
For a true reflection on how CAFCASS treats some people:
http://www.contactdeniers.com/category/c...
Philip J Measures left an annotation ()
Sorry Mr Darby but this is not helpful and there is no independent verification of the accuracy of any of the comments. Aggrieved Users of CAFCASS should routinely report concerns regarding bad practise by Family Court Advisers to the HCPC with whom they are registered as qualified social workers.
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Philip J Measures left an annotation ()
This is quite disgraceful. The public have a right to know the broad outcomes of Complaints made to Public Bodies. I hope that those with sufficient 'power' to further pursue this matter will do so - how can public confidence be maintained in the absence of sufficent detail? Personally I just think this is indicative of how CAFCASS continues to seek to hide information and not be open and accountable.