CafcassCafcass is the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. It is independent of the court and of both parents, and its job is to advise the court about what is best for a child. is the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. It is independent of the court and of both parents, and its job is to advise the family court about what is safe and in the interests of children. In Wales the equivalent body is Cafcass Cymru. Almost every private law children case involves Cafcass at some point, and the three documents below are where its work appears.
Safeguarding letter (Child Arrangements Programme)
Produced before the first hearing. Cafcass checks police and local authority records for both parents, telephones each parent for a short interview about any safety concerns, and writes a letter to the court summarising what it found and whether it recommends any further work. It is not a full assessment. It is usually a few pages long.
Section 7 report (Child Arrangements Programme)
Ordered by the court when it needs a fuller welfare picture, under section 7 reportA section 7 report is a welfare report about what is best for a child, written for the court by Cafcass or the local authority when the court asks for one. It makes recommendations; the decision stays with the court. of the Children Act 1989. The officer interviews both parents, usually speaks to the child in an age-appropriate way, may contact the school, GP or others, and writes a report with recommendations. It typically takes twelve to sixteen weeks. It is the most influential document in many cases, and judges usually follow its recommendations unless there is a good reason not to, though they are not bound to.
Child Impact Report (Child Focused Model)
In areas running the new model, the Child Impact Report is produced before the first hearing and brings forward much of the section 7 work: multi-agency checks, parent interviews, and, where appropriate, a conversation with the child. Post 3 covers it in full. The practical difference for parents is timing: the fuller assessment arrives at the start, and the first hearing can make use of it.
The Cafcass interview
Whichever report it is, the interview with the officer is your main opportunity to explain your child's situation. Prepare for it as you would for court: know your dates, keep to facts, focus on your child, and raise safety concerns clearly. Have your chronology (Post 6) to hand.
If you disagree with a report
You are entitled to respond. The most effective way is in writing, briefly, organised under the report's own headings: what you say is factually wrong, with the correct information and the document that supports it; what you agree with; and what you would ask the court to consider. Judges are used to reading these and give more weight to specific, evidenced corrections than to general disagreement. Where a report has recommended something you think is wrong for your child, explain, in terms of your child's needs, what you would propose instead. You can ask for the officer to attend the hearing so that questions can be put.
Cafcass and the child
Parents worry about their child being spoken to. Officers are trained for it; conversations are age-appropriate, in a neutral place, and the aim is to understand the child's wishes and feelings, not to make them choose. Children are never asked to give evidence in the ordinary sense. Telling your child beforehand, simply and calmly, that someone will be coming to hear about how things are for them, and that there are no right or wrong answers, is what most professionals recommend.
How familycourt.app and McKenzie can help
The case map shows where each Cafcass stage sits in your process and what typically happens next. McKenzie explains any report you receive in plain English, and Document Studio helps you prepare your own written response under the report's headings, with your supporting documents linked.