Worth having reading: Behind Closed Doors: Diluting the Guardian’s Independence, Circumventing the Role of the Court
The piece sets out a critique by the Association of Lawyers for Children (ALC) on the risks to independence of Children’s Guardian as part of a response to a Cafcass/ADCS latest joint document: Agreement about how local authorities and Cafcass can work effectively in a set of care proceedings and pre-court proceedings in the English Family Courts
The ALC states:
We do not dispute that it is essential for guardians and local authority social workers to liaise closely and to co-operate to the greatest extent that their respective roles allow. This Agreement, however, goes far beyond that.
The ALC has expressed deep concern about this latest joint document.
Read more via Family Law Week: Behind Closed Doors: Diluting the Guardian’s Independence, Circumventing the Role of the Court
Some key documents and publications
- Cafcass and Independent Reviewing Officer Good Practice Protocol for Public Law Work
- IRO Handbook
- The Office of the Children’s Commissioner’s submission to the APPG Child Protection Inquiry on the implementation of the Family Justice Review
- The Children Act 1989 guidance and regulations – Volume 2: care planning, placement and case review
- Number of care applications hits record annual level
- Role of the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) in Care Proceedings
niromp.org 
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