Informing Children and Families of their Rights

Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service did not have the information requested.

Paul Randle-Jolliffe

Dear Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service,

It is my understanding that CAFCASS, Local Authorities & Family Courts Nationwide have serious policy and practice gaps in the rights areas as follows that results in both Children and Parents being unable to 1. Be properly informed by or quality control that they are and therefor the compliance with law by these service providers 2. Resulting in Children and Parents being thereby unable to properly exercise these rights and 3. Resulting in them being denied their rights, in both Public and Private Law (including in the case of (long term orders/care/adoption) of younger children how these children may themselves know and exercise these rights later when they old enough :

So put simply there is a lack of policy and good practice by these agencies including CAFCASS

Therefore to asses the detail of theses gaps in CAFCASS can you please provide copy of all the CAFCASS Policies, Practices Document & Practice Guidance. Regarding the following or state that they do not exist:

A. CAFCASS directly Informing 1. Children and 2. Parents: of their Rights in both of Public Law and Private Law Proceedings
B. CAFCASS informing Carers or Adoptors of Childrens Rights whilst in care or post adotion
C. Ensuring or Verifying third parties such as Local Parties such as Local Authorities Inform Children their Rights in both Public Law Proceedings whilst in care or post adoption
D. Ensuring that Local CAFCASS offices have gained a copy of Local Authorities Own Policies and Practice Guidance re Informing 1. Children and 2. Parents: of their Rights in Public Law Proceedings.
E. Where a parent acts to undertake to inform a child of its rights in default of either 1. By CAFCASS not doing so in either both of Public Law and Private Law Proceedings or B. By CAFCASS or a Local Authority not doing so in Public Law Proceeding. And 3. if CAFCASS has any policy or practice to assist or deny a parent the ability to do so or 4. Any policy or practice to assist a parent if a LA acts to deny a parent the ability to do so.

In this request the Rights Covered include being informed of those rights covered by:
UN Convention of Human Rights
European Convention on Human Rights
Human Rights Act
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Data Protection Act
Gender Equality Duty & SDA

And for these to me made available at at age appropriate level to children

And in addition
Informing of the right to record any meeting (but not court hearing)
That Public Law Proceedings that a s20 is voluntary and can be rescinded at will by a parent
Informing a child of the right of a Child to engage their own legal representation and how they may do so in both Private and Public Law, (including post adoption) and the age a legal framework for Gillick Competence and how they may gain this certification from their own doctor at age 12 at least.
And in the case of adoption or long term care of a very young child providing all this to the adopter/carer for when the child is older and including how they may seek contact with a natural parent via a local authority or orders via a solicitor if they ask things of the adopter/carer or LA regarding so the adopter/carer may provide it all to them at the appropriate age level.

Obviously providing information to children should be age appropriate.

Yours faithfully,

Paul Randle-Jolliffe
Chairman, The Advocacy Fund

Governance - Cafcass, Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service

Dear Mr Randle-Jolliffe

Thank you for your email. Please accept this as a formal acknowledgement of your Freedom of Information requests received on 3 May 2016.

Your reference number is CAF 16-65.

We aim to respond to you promptly, and at the latest 20 working days from receipt of your request. You will therefore receive a response on or before 31 May 2016.

Kind regards,

Governance Team | Cafcass
G [CAFCASS request email] |  www.cafcass.gov.uk 

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Governance - Cafcass, Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Randle-Jolliffe

 

Thank you for your email.

 

Please find attached our response to your Freedom of Information request.

 

Kind regards,

 

Governance Team | Cafcass

* [1][CAFCASS request email] | ü [2]www.cafcass.gov.uk 

 

[3]Cafcass_Logo_2014_email

 

 

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